Billy Graham Abel Yola
President of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Most Rev. Panti Filibus, has described the abduction of 110 Dapchi school girls four years after the abduction of 270 girls in Chibok as ‘totally unacceptable and shameful to all Nigerians’.
Rev. Filibus said this, on Thursday, at a press conference, in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.
His words, “This act of abducting and subjugating innocent school girls to such horrendous inhuman conditions is most shameful on us all as Nigerians.
“The Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN) utterly condemns this inhuman act of abducting schools girls in Nigeria; this being the second time that such a large number of girls were abducted.”
He challenged the Federal Government to take concrete measures to guarantee the protection of girl child’s right to pursue education.
He continued, “Constitutionally and by right every girl-child deserves protection from whatever may endanger her life.
“The universal human rights declaration and other legal instruments clearly demands of governments around the world to ensure that children’s rights of protection and education are safeguarded,” he affirmed.
He, however, calls for understanding among security operatives saying the current blame game will only embolden the terrorists.
While commending the military for their effort in the fight against insurgency the clergy calls for the empowerment of the military for “Proactive preventive intervention.”
Rev. Filibus said, “I call on our governments both at federal and state levels to jointly do everything to ensure that these girls are rescued and reunited with their families.
“I call on the international community and all well spirited non-state organisations to support our government towards rescuing these girls from their heartless abductors.”
While speaking on the Tuesday killings at Gwamba, Bishop Filibus said, the church is saddened by the news of yet another killing in Adamawa state.
He laments that, “These killers are recalcitrants to the government by virtue of of their unstoppable murderous actions.”
He decried how the herdsmen have continued to kill citizens with sophisticated firearms and without being apprehended and prosecuted.
“I am compelled to think that the killers often said to be Fulani herdsmen have defied all security apparatus in the country.
“This is evident in their well coordinated and organized attack on innocent people.
“These killers are recalcitrant to the government by virtue of their unstoppable murderous actions,” he said.