The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, on Tuesday in Abuja made a passionate demand that the military should identify and fish out any of its officers found to have sympathy for members of the Boko Haram Islamic sect.
The CAN President also stated that he did “not envy President Goodluck Jonathan because of the complex security challenges he is facing.”
Oritsejafor said these at the National Executive Council meeting of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria.
He said although the military had done very well in combating the insurgents which had held the country to ransom in the last few years, there were areas it had to improve upon to wipe out members of the sect.
According to him, one of the things he would want the security agencies to do was to recruit more so that they would have enough men on the ground to face the insurgents who seem to be multiplying on a daily basis.
As part of the strategies to win the war against terrorism, Oritsejafor urged the Federal Government to direct the Air Force to commence daily air surveillance, including getting honest people to man the nation’s borders.
He said, “I believe that the military are doing their best. They are trying, they are working hard. I will never join those who condemn the security agencies. If they are not here, what could we have done?
“We should be grateful to God for them and not demoralise them. They have done well. Yes, there is room for improvement. They need to recruit more people because they are short of manpower. In doing that, they should be careful about the type of people they recruit as they will try to infiltrate them.
“There are many other things that need to be done because even within them, there are those who are sympathetic to the insurgents.
“They should find ways to identify them and fish them out. If they can’t completely do that, they should not give them responsible positions.”
Also speaking, RTEAN President, Chief Alhaji Musa Isiwele, called on President Jonathan to do everything within his power to protect the lives of its members and commuters who had in recent times been victims of Boko Haram attacks.
He said Oritsejafor was invited to the association’s NEC meeting in recognition of his desire and love for peace in the country.
“Our great association is of the view that matters of road safety and security of all commuters in all our various parks nationwide should go beyond advocacy,” he said.
Meanwhile, worried by the activities of a group believed to have a link with the dreaded Boko Haram sect which has caused crisis in the major parts of the North Eastern part of the country, Niger state Government has set up a two-man committee to investigate the activities of the sect believed to have a base in Bida town.
Governor Babangida Aliyu, acting on security report given by the League of Imams in the state, set up a two-man committee to investigate the activities of the sect.
Aliyu on Tuesday gave members of the committee three days to complete their assignment and report back to him to enable government to take a decisive action. He also directed members of the panel to dialogue with the Etsu Nupe and Chairman of the Niger state council of Traditional rulers as whose domain the alleged sect members are based.
Also speaking on the rising insecurity, a member of the House of Representatives from Chibok in Borno State, Mr Peter Biyo, on Tuesday asked the Federal Government to destroy the Sambisa forest, where the dreaded Boko Haram sect used as fortress, to end the activities of the insurgents in the North-eastern part of the country.
Biyo noted that the forest which harboured wild animals had been a den for the terrorists and that the only way to dislodge the Boko Haram sect currently terrorising the North-East was to flatten the forest.
The lawmaker added, “I grew up as the only Christian in my family, even in my clan I’m the only Christian, all my brothers and other relations are Muslims. Among my Muslim relations, many were killed. If it were a religious war, they would have searched for me and killed me or they should kill Christians and spare Muslims''.
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