Killing of 11 Christians: Blame Buhari, Sultan for ISWAP, B-Haram’s audacity – National Christian Elders Forum

Following the murder of 11 innocent Nigerian Christians on Christmas Day, 2019, as well as the persecution of Christians in some parts of Nigeria, National Christian Elders Forum, NCEF, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari and the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, should be held responsible for the audacity, expansion, and unbridled atrocities of Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, Boko Haram and herdsmen in the country.

This came as the stay in captivity of Leah Sharibu for over two years in the hands of the Boko Haram terror group has continued to draw local and international attention, with the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students, IFES, Regional Secretary for English and Portugese-speaking Africa and founder/convener, Para-Mallam Peace Foundation, Rev. Gideon Para-Mallam, calling on the Nigerian government to ensure that the teenager does not spend the new year in the den of the terror group.

NCEF Chairman, Elder Solomon Asemota, SAN, in a statement said, the 11 affected Christians were abducted by ISWAP, a faction of Boko Haram, pointing out, that 13 men were shown in a video pleading for deliverance while 11 were eventually killed.

This came few days after the Sultan of Sokoto had said he was shocked by the claim of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, that Christians were being persecuted in the country.

NCEF lamented that: “Two of the captives were released because they are Muslims while the remaining 11 were presumably killed due to their Christian faith. Ten of the Christians were beheaded while the 11th was shot dead.

“Timing the gruesome murder of these innocent Christians to Christmas Day was a certain signal of the Islamic insurgents deliberately desecrating the day in which Christians worldwide marked the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world and the central figure of the Christian faith. It was not only a heinous crime, but it was also provocative and insulting.

“More than any individual, President Buhari should be held responsible for the audacity, expansion, and unbridled atrocities of ISWAP, Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria. He not only deliberately created the atmosphere for Islamic insurgency to thrive in Nigeria he has adopted ‘repentant’ terrorists into the Nigeria Army.
“If President Buhari is sincere that Islamic terrorists are ‘godless, callous gangs of mass murderers’, he should immediately re-organize the National Security Units that are solely in the control of Muslims from the North of Nigeria in compliance with the Federal Character Principle in Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution.

“In addition, all the terrorists that have been assimilated into the Nigeria Army should be dismissed. At the most, they could be constituted into Civilian Task Force if they are willing to help combat terror in the land. No sensible government, anywhere in the world, adopts terrorists into its Army.
“Our suspicion is that the statement of President Buhari is for the benefit of United States of America which recently placed Nigeria on its Special Watch List (SWL). However, President Buhari has the opportunity to prove us wrong by ensuring that the murderous Fulani herdsmen from his ethnic group are arrested and prosecuted,” the Elders stated.