Although Christians have been victims of
various killings in the country perpetrated by suspected Fulani
herdsmen, the peace-making efforts of the church should not be
misunderstood to be a weakness, the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria,
has warned......
The organization on Tuesday said that
there was no law prohibiting Christians from defending themselves
because if pushed to the wall, the church could react.
The President of PFN, Rev. Felix
Omobude, issued the warning during a meeting with Christians at the
Living Faith Bible Church (aka Winners Chapel) in Jos, after paying a
condolence visit to Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State on the
killing of over 200 persons in three Local Government Areas by suspected
Fulani herdsmen.
He said, “We call on the government to
fish out the perpetrators of this evil across the land. We want to see
them get punished; we want to see them answer for their crimes.
What has
happened in the past, and when it happens like this, is that the most
the government will say is to condemn it. We want to see beyond mere
condemnation. We want those shielding these evil men to be exposed.
“We will continue to call on Christians
to follow the path of peace in line with the injunctions of our faith. I
want to sound it unequivocally that the people perpetrating this evil
should not think they have a monopoly of violence.
The peace drive and
peace-making efforts of the church should not be misunderstood to be a
weakness. If pushed to the wall, the church can react. There is no law
that forbids Christians from defending themselves. We cannot continue to
be on the receiving end.”
Omobude said the recent killings in
Plateau State had touched the leadership of the PFN and “we are here to
tender our condolences to the government and people of Plateau state.”
He said, “On the occasion of this visit,
the PFN is calling on the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu
Buhari to rise to the challenge and secure the lives and properties of
Nigerians. It is the primary responsibility that the government owes the
people.
“We call on the governments, federal and
states, especially when we understand that one of the campaign promises
of this present Federal Government was security, to protect lives and
properties.
Never in the history of this nation has innocent blood been
shed across the land as we are witnessing. Our security agencies should
rise to the challenge. A nation that cannot secure the lives and
properties of her people is not yet free.”
The cleric also called on Christians in
particular and Nigerians in general to use the opportunity of the
nation’s democracy to endorse good leaders and vote out the bad eggs in
the 2019 general elections.
Omobude also opposed the proposed
ranching policy of the Federal Government saying in Europe, United
Kingdom and America, people consume beef, adding, “yet, you don’t see
cows being paraded on the streets.”
Meanwhile, a former Governor of Plateau
State and Senator representing the Plateau North Senatorial District in
the National Assembly, Jonah David Jang, has dismissed his alleged link
with the recent killings in the state.
He said, “Doesn’t that sound funny that
Jonah Jang, a Berom man from Plateau State, is organising Fulani
herdsmen to come and kill Beroms or which killings are they talking
about? Over 200 people have been killed in some LGAs here including
Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Bassa, Bokkos, Mangu and somebody is protesting in
Abuja that I am behind the killings.
So, I am the person who put the
arms in the hands of Fulani herdsmen to come and kill my people so that I
will be the only Berom man to live with my family or what? Does that
make sense?”
“It is a pity that politics is turning
to what it is in Nigeria. I believe that everything is being done to
find a reason to incarcerate me so that I will not participate in the
ongoing politics. I am the Senator representing Plateau North, I may be
re-contesting the Senate, and I may be contesting a higher position.
That decision is in the making and the Peoples Democratic Party is
working very hard to win the election on the Plateau and I am a key
figure here on the Plateau.”
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