CAN condemns assassination attempt on Governor Ortom

• …Asks National Assembly to stop the Bill on Hijab

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has condemned, in strong terms, the assassination attempt on the Benue State Governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom and charged the security agencies to investigate, arrest and prosecute the masterminds.
The association said this in a statement yesterday by its General Secretary, Mr Joseph Bade Daramola in Abuja.
The umbrella body for the nation’s Christians expressed worried and sadness at what it called the collapse of the security architecture of the government and the failure of those in charge to rise up to the security challenges.
According to CAN, ,”We are worried, sad, shocked, disappointed, and pained at the collapse of the security architecture of the government and the failure of those in charge to rise up to the security challenges.
“If a state governor is unsafe despite all the security operatives in his convoy, then who is safe?
“We welcome the Presidential directive and that of the Inspector General of Police that the investigation of the matter should be thorough and it is our hope that the matter will not be swept under the carpet.
“We are disappointed that the shadowy group, the Fulani Nationality Movement that claimed responsibility has not been outlawed and the herdsmen leaders who publicly threatened the Governor are still going about their businesses as if they have done nothing unusual.
“Is the government waiting till they have successfully carried out their evil and wicked enterprise? What are these people turning the country into in this century?
“If these murderous Fulani herdsmen are not Nigerians, as we are being told, why do our security agencies appear powerless before these criminals?
“Are they holding superior ammunitions? Are they waiting till everyone results to self-defense with the attendant consequences?
“The primary responsibility of any government is to protect the lives and property of the citizens.
“ If President Muhammadu Buhari wanted his name to be written in gold, let him fix the security problems in this nation before his tenure is over.
“We challenge the Federal government to roll out the list of names of the kingpins of those murderous herdsmen, kidnappers, bandits and terrorists in the prison and Police custody and those under trials”, it said.
The association warned that as long as the government continues treating “these criminals with kid gloves so also will they continue operating with impunity”, it said.