The Senior Pastor of Word Communication Ministry, Ibadan, Pastor Sunday Popoola, has explained why his church heeded a call by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) that Nigerian churches should engage in peaceful protests over incessant killings, especially of Christians, in the country by unknown persons.
The church heeded the call on Sunday, May 6, with many members carrying placards conveying an array of messages condemning the killings and demanding more action from the government.
Recall that two Catholic priests, Rev Fathers Joseph Gor and Felix Tyolaha, and 15 parishioners were killed at St Ignatius Quasi Parish, Ukpor, Mbalom in Gwer East Local Government Council of Benue on April 24.
Condemning the killings, Popoola, a former Oyo CAN chairman, said, “We are sad and worried because too many lives are, unnecessarily, being wasted. There’s no way ordinary herdsmen will have access to AK47. And again, what has herdsmen have to do with churches. They went to church, killed worshippers and priests. Is that herdsmen and farmers’ issue?
“We believe this is ethnic cleansing and that the security agencies have been compromised, a reason they are looking away and probably aiding these killers.
“We are calling on the president, the commander-in-chief to rise to his assignment for which we voted him. We mobilised to vote for him because we thought he would make a difference, brought change in this country but things are going from bad to worse while the blood-letting is getting too much.”