The Christian Association of Nigeria and the Nigeria Labour Congress have called on the Federal Government and all security agencies to free Leah Sharibu and other captives of the Boko Haram terrorists “before it is too late.”
The two organisations in separate statements in Abuja on Thursday condemned the killing of a midwife with the International Committee of the Red Cross, Saifura Khorsa, by Boko Haram and urged religious and political leaders to join civil society organisations and international agencies to stop the killings in the country.
The CAN President, Rev. Samson Ayokunle, said the killings in parts of the country had given Nigeria a bad name “as a barbaric nation where value is not attached to human life.”
The cleric, who stated this at an event to mark the commencement of ‘Ecumenism for Development and Peace Initiative’ with the slogan “#Too young to die” at the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso, regretted that many Nigerians were being killed by gunmen and suspected Fulani herdsmen.
He said, “A very sad case is that of Leah Sharibu and the Chibok girls that are still in captivity for months and years now either because of their faith or religious malady of some crazy Islamic fundamentalists.
“I call on the Federal Government and the security agencies to put their acts together and release all the captives before it is too late. These people are too young to die. It is the constitutional responsibility of government to protect lives and property of the governed,” the Christian leader stated.
The NLC expressed outrage at the killing and abduction of health workers by suspected insurgents, noting that it was dismayed by the cruelty against the patriotic citizens.
NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, described the killing of the ICRC worker as callous and barbaric, stating that the nation had lost hundreds of workers to the senseless killings, insurgency and terrorism in the North-East.
While commending the security forces for their sacrifices, he implored them to arrest and bring to justice those behind the killing and abduction of the health workers.
“Our security forces should also ensure that abducted workers are released to their families unharmed,” Wabba said.
Source: Punch
