‘The Battle Is Not Yet Won’, CAN President Reacts to Killings

CAN President Samson Ayokunle (file)

President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend Samson Ayokunle, has said that the killings in the North show that the battle is ‘not yet won’.

The Christian leader, who was in Maiduguri to assess the devastation caused by the insurgents in the North-East, insisted that the country needs help to come out of the conflict.

He also stated that people deserve to return to their place of habitat, instead of being Internally Displaced Persons.

“There is no reason to deceive ourselves, it is not over yet, the battle is not won yet and we need to know that the end is in sight if we don’t give up.

“As long as you continue to see IDPs it means that we have not reached the end of the matter, people ought to go back to their places of residence where they were born where they have their means of living.”

The CAN President revealed that the body has embarked on several advocacy meetings to seek support and collaborations from the international community to end insurgency in the country.

“We have been speaking, making advocacy and we have taken our advocacy beyond the shores of Nigeria. I’ve gone to Washington DC, met the House of Reps Committee Chairman, Chris Meat, on the problems of insurgency and the devastation it had caused in Nigeria and the world should come to our aid.”

He also alleged complicity on the part of community leaders and government for allowing the killings in Zamfara to last this long.

“To me, to some extent, the government allowed it; How can I be the leader of a community and unwanted elements are rising up. Will I not quickly nip it in the bud?

“I am advocating that the leaders of the communities and the agents of the government be sincere enough and be patriotic beyond economic returns to expose the unscrupulous elements within the community so that the rest might be able to live their lives, fulfill their dreams because they don’t have two lives to live.”