NIREC urges action against killings, abductions

The Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) under the leadership of the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III; and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, has expressed sadness over the increase in the level of insecurity in the country.

In a joint statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja, the council lamented that the rates at which banditry, abductions and killings were increasing in the country were beyond alarming, thus the need to bring the heinous acts to an end.

In the statement, the Executive Secretary of NIREC, Prof. Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua, said that recently there were reports of 13 farmers killed in Shiroro LGA of Niger State; 150 persons abducted in Gobir District in Sokoto State; the District Head of Gatawa, Sokoto State, was gruesomely murdered and foiled bandits’ attacks in Malumfashi LGA of Katsina State, among many others.

The statement read in part: “These spate of attacks within the window period of one week is very disheartening and of great concern. NIREC, therefore, calls on the government and security agencies to intensify their efforts to eradicate these menaces in our society so that citizens can go about their normal businesses without fear or apprehension.

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“The council would also like to commiserate with the families of all those who lost their lives because of these disdainful acts and also pray that all those that are still in captivity would be safely reunited with their loved ones.”

The council urged all Nigerians to be cautious, vigilant and report any suspicious activity as security was a collective effort and not just for the government alone.