By Abubakar Yunusa
The Northern Christian Religious Leaders Assembly has condemned the renewed wave of killings, kidnappings and bandit attacks rocking parts of Kwara, Kaduna, Benue, Plateau and Taraba states, describing the situation as alarming and unacceptable.
NOCRELA said the continued bloodshed, which has left many communities devastated, posed a serious threat to national security and peaceful coexistence in the North.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Chairman of NOCRELA, Archbishop JohnPraise Daniel, said the group was deeply saddened by the persistent loss of innocent lives and the destruction of homes, farmlands and places of worship in the affected states.
Daniel noted that recent attacks, including brutal killings and abductions, had continued unabated, leaving families traumatised, communities displaced and survivors without access to basic necessities.
He described the violence as “evil, barbaric and inhuman,” adding that the repeated targeting of defenceless communities, particularly Christian communities, raised serious concerns about the safety of lives across the region.
According to him, silence or delayed action by authorities only emboldens perpetrators and deepens the culture of impunity.
The religious leaders called on the Federal Government to urgently deploy well-equipped security personnel and intelligence assets to the affected areas to halt further attacks and restore peace.
NOCRELA also urged the governments of Kwara, Kaduna, Benue, Plateau and Taraba states to rise to their constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property, regardless of religion or ethnicity.
The group further demanded that security agencies swiftly identify, arrest and prosecute those behind the attacks, including their sponsors, to serve as a deterrent.
It also appealed to the National Emergency Management Agency and state emergency agencies to immediately provide relief materials, medical aid and psychosocial support to displaced persons.
NOCRELA said Nigeria must not continue on the path of normalising bloodshed and lawlessness, stressing that “enough is enough.”
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