The Catholic Bishop of Adamawa Diocese, Bishop Stephen Manza, has confirmed the killing of the Christian Association of Nigerian (CAN) Chairman for Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Rev. Lawan Andimi, in the hands of insurgent group, Boko Haram.
He has also told the Federal Government to stop deceiving Nigerians that the group has been defeated.
“Government should stop fooling Nigerians and tell them the truth. Boko Haram is still strong…who can travel between Michika and Maiduguri without using escorts,” an angry Manza asked.
He disclosed that Andimi was killed adding that as at Sunday negotiations were still on to free the reverend gentleman adding the sad news of Andimi’s death was confirmed by the individual who acted as go-between the President of Ecclesiya Yan’uwa a Nigeia
EYN Church, Rev. Joel Billy and the terrorist group. Andimi was an EYN reverend.
“They sent him a photo. There was a video but it is too gruesome to be shown,” Manza said in Yola while briefing journalists.
According to him, the abductors asked for a ransom of €2 million to free Andimi.
Meanwhile the President of the Christian Association of Nigerian, Dr. Supo Ayokunle, has expressed sadness over Andimi’s killing, declaring a 3-day Prayers and Fasting and calling for a total overhauling of the security architecture
He called for help from the international community, and passed a vote of No Confidence on the country’ssecurity chiefs
But some prominent Christian leaders are asking CAN to go beyond rhetorics and take other decisive actions.
One of them, the President of the Nigerian Christian Graduates Fellowship (NCGF), Professor Charles Adisa, sent a message a message to the association’s leader to call out Christians for a protest to the presidency and National Assembly.
His message: “…let’s stop all these press releases, Please tell CAN President that we should mobilise every single Christian in Nigeria on nationwide protests to Aso Rock, NASS (National Assembly), Defense headquarters, all major embassies, government houses and state houses of Assembly.
“Call an international world conference after one whole week of protests.”
In its statement by the association’s spokesman, CAN said. “We recall sadly that Late Rev. Lawan Andimi while in captivity made a passionate appeal to the leadership of his church and the Federal Government to come to his rescue. The Church did everything within her reach to secure the safe release of this pastor gentleman but it was not possible because they didn’t have the military power to do so.
“Just last Sunday, a clergyman, Rev Denis Bagauri was murdered by unknown gunmen in his residence at Mayo Belwa of Adamawa State.
“The Church views the unabated kidnappings, extortions and killings of Christians and innocent Nigerians as shameful to the government that each time boasts that it has conquered insurgency. It is reprehensible and saddening that each time the government comes out to claim the defeat of the insurgency, more killings of our people are committed. In the light of the current developments and the circumstantial facts surrounding the prevailing upsurge of attacks against the church, it will be difficult for us to believe that the Federal Government under President Mohammadu Buhari is not colluding with the insurgents to exterminate Christians in Nigeria bearing in mind the very questionable leadership of the security sector that has been skewed towards a religion and region! Is that lopsidedness not a cover up for the operation of the insurgency? If not, why couldn’t the well equipped security agents of Nigeria get this man killed rescued?
“While we call on Christians to be calm, we challenge the Federal Government led by President Buhari to be more proactive about effort to get rid of the continuous siege on Nigeria and end the wanton killings and destructions of lives and property of Nigerians if the government is to be taken seriously. Maintenance of security is the least responsibility of any government that knows its worth. We are once again calling on the President Buhari to purge himself of the allegations of nepotism and religious favouritism by reconstituting the leadership of security outfits.
“The Federal Government is urged to ensure the release of the prisoner of faith, Leah Sharibu and hundreds victims who are in the Boko Haram and ISWAP captivity before it is too late. A government that cannot protect the governed is a failed government.
“CAN deeply sympathises with the immediate family of Late Rev. Andimi, President and members of EYN Church, the government of Adamawa State and the entire Nigeria Church.
“There are questions begging for answers:
• What is the essence of SIM card registration if the authorities cannot use it to track down these killers who rely on phones as a mean of communications to do their criminalities?
• What has become of Intelligence gathering of our security agencies?
• Is this government and the security agencies still claiming that the war against these criminals in religious garments has been won despite all the killings?
• Is the government sincere in fighting these terrorists or merely paying lip service to the war against the insurgency?
• Is there any hope that our security is guaranteed under this government?
• Can the government tell us what they did since Rev. Andimì cried out to them for help?
• If the security agencies claim the terrorists are operating outside the country, why is it possible for these hoodlums to invade the country, kill, maim, burn and kidnap without any convincing checks on the part of the security agencies?
• Since the government and its apologists are claiming the killings have no religious undertones, why are the terrorists and herdsmen targeting the predominantly Christian communities and Christian leaders?
• If the security agencies are not living up to the expectations of the government, why hasn’t it overhauled them with a view of injecting new visionaries ones into the security system?
“As long as the government continues to live in denial and fail to face the reality, these criminals will not stop their criminalities. We are almost losing hope in government’s ability to protect Nigerians especially Christians who have become endangered species under its watch. We once again call on the International community and developed world like the US, the UK, Germany, Israel and others to please come to our aid of Nigeria, especially, the Nigerian Church so that we might not be eliminated one by one.
“We cannot loose hope on divine protection and the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to expose those behind the sponsorship of terrorism in Nigeria and to get Nigeria safe from the arms of the criminals. We shall remain constant and not bow to the antics of terrorists and their sponsors. We know that very soon, God will unmask these ungodly and wicked elements amidst us and their collaborators in Jesus Name.
We urge all Christians to set three days apart this week to fast and pray for Nigeria.”