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Christian Leaders in Nigerian State Caution Security Agents against “reactive statements”

Credit: Courtesy Photo

Members of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kaduna State are cautioning the country’s  Department of State Services (DSS) against the tendency to issue “reactive statements” after threats of incidents of insecurity. 

In a Friday, June 23 statement, the Chairman of the Christian entity that includes representatives of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) in Kaduna advocates for “proactive measures on the part of security agencies in Nigeria.

“Nigerians will love to see proactive measures, not reactive statements,” Pastor John Joseph Hayab says.

CAN statement follows the June 22 alert that saw Nigeria's state security service warn of possible terrorist attacks on places of worship and recreational facilities before and during the June 29 Islamic celebration of Eid-al-Adha,  the Feast of Sacrifice, VOA News reported.

In the June 23 statement, the Chairman of CAN in Kaduna says, “This alert like many in the past has always come when festivities are around the corner.”

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“We hope and pray it is not diversionary,” Pastor Hayab says in reference to the security alert, and adds, “The DSS as a secret agent should go after the terrorists or criminals before they execute their plans.”

“Nigerians are already traumatized and should not be further placed on another trauma,’ the CAN official further says. 

Pastor Hayab says he regrets the fact that although the country has “a new government and new security chiefs have just been appointed,” no changes have been made to the DSS.

He goes on to urge “everybody” in the West African nation “to be on alert so that when you see something say something.” 

“After all, security is everybody’s business, everyone should join hands to free our country from all security challenges through strategic action, not propaganda,” says Pastor Hayab.

More in Africa

Africa’s most populous nation has been experiencing challenges ranging from insecurity to economic ones. 

Boko Haram has been terrorizing Nigerians since 2009 with indiscriminate attacks targeting the populace, especially Christians.

A recent the Religious Freedom Report 2023 report, which the Catholic pontifical and charity foundation, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International, published, has Nigeria among African countries where Christians are most persecuted in the world.

The report also listed the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Somalia, Eritrea, and Libya as other countries in Africa where Christians are persecuted the most.

In the ACN report in which countries experiencing religious freedom restrictions were categorized into four – persecution, discrimination, under observation, and unclassified – other African countries in the persecution category include Mozambique, Cameroon, Chad, and Sudan.

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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.