Christian Leaders in Nigerian State Push for Leaders “treating everyone with dignity”

Nigeria’s Kaduna state has been described as the “epicenter of kidnapping and banditry activity” due to the heightened levels of insecurity.

According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), the Nigerian State continues to experience alarming levels of violence despite being the headquarters of 11 military installations.

Statistics released by TheCable Index earlier this year indicated that Kaduna State was among Nigerian States with the highest number of reported deaths in 2021.

“TheCable found out that … Zamfara had the highest number of reported deaths with 703 deaths, followed by Kaduna with 652 and Benue with 460", the report published on January 14 indicated.

In the report, TheCable Index, the data and research arm of TheCable, established that “an average of 14 Nigerians died daily in various violent attacks reported in the news media from January to December, 2021.”

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“In 2021, Zamfara and Kaduna witnessed a surge in the activities of bandits, which led to a high frequency of attacks in the two states,” the report indicated, and that “Zamfara, Kaduna, Benue and Niger accounted for 42 percent of the reported deaths in 2021.”

Last month, bandits reportedly raided Agban Kagoro, Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State, killing at least 15 people and burning houses.

In the April 6 report, Pastor Hayab reflects on the suffering the people of Kaduna State have been experiencing amid insecurity.

“What the citizens of the state are going through has no religion, tribe, or section. We are all suffering insecurity where lives of innocent citizens are being killed on a daily basis and properties worth unimaginable magnitude are destroyed leaving people in abject poverty with no one to ameliorate their agony,” he laments.

The official of the Christian entity that includes representatives of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) further says the time has come “for the people of the state to reconsider the path forward for a true servant leader.”

Pastor Hayab notes that the Nigerian State “has what it takes to be a model for others in the country to follow.”

The CAN official invites families to denounce criminals who are perpetrating the killings and destruction in Kaduna State. He says, “It is of great concern how communities shield criminals living amongst them. There are criminals in every ethnic group and in every religion.”

“If we want to end this kind of problem, we must be ready to give up those we suspect to be criminals even if they are our sons and daughters,” the representative of Christian leaders in Kaduna State reiterates in the April 6 report.

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.