Catholic Knights of the Order of St. Mulumba have decried the inability of the federal government to stop the gory killings and wanton destruction of properties and livelihoods by armed herdsmen.
It urged the governmentto bring to book all those behind the acts of brigandage and savagery.
The Supreme Knight of the Order, Sir Diamond Ovueraye, in a statement, yesterday, in Abuja lamented that if the federal government those not move swiftly to arrest the current state of affairs and reassure all Nigerians that it caters for all, the herdsmen atrocities could degenerate into a serious crisis capable of tearing the seams of Nigeria’s neatly woven national garment.
He said: “As a religious organisation, we feel highly disturbed and alarmed at the rate of confusion, acrimony and heightened anxiety dominating the Nigerian space.
“We note particularly a sense of despondency arising from a feeling of abandonment by government and the sheer impunity of herdsmen. We have watched government’s reaction or lack of it to these despicable acts of brigandage and savagery and are reminded of a Japanese proverb: ‘What you allow is what will continue’ and ‘He that spares the bad, injures the good’.
“We vehemently abhor and decry these killings, as our faith strongly prescribes the sacredness of lives and join other well-meaning Nigerians in calling a spade by its name.
“We condemn in equal measure the seeming inaction of the federal government in reining-in these brigands. It is strange that a group has been allowed unfettered access roaming freely, with high caliber weapons, using same to dispense tears, sorrows and deaths.
“We align with the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, who had earlier prescribed ranching as a viable alternative to open grazing. We note that cattle breeding like poultry and fish farming is purely a private business and we implore government to put in place structures and enabling environment for all farmers and business men to excel.
“While we will not fail to commend the federal government for successfully degrading the Book Haram sect as a potent force, we urge that its attempt to rebuild the Northeast must also include those areas where herdsmen have wrecked havoc.”
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