A group of Christian elders from various regions in the country, organized under the National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF), has asserted that the incessant killings in Nigeria were motivated by intruders (foreigners).
The NCEF admonished leaders in the Muslim faith to look deep into the situation and make decisions that will be in the long-term best interest of their ethnic groups and the country at large.
News360 Info reports that the Chairman of the NCEF, Dr. Samuel Gani, conveyed the message on behalf of the group, urging President Bola Tinubu to implement the report of the 2014 National Conference without any further delay.
The group called on President Tinubu to appoint a special investigator to look into the killings that have occurred in Nigeria since 2009.
The plea was made during a press conference held in Abuja on Thursday.
The NCEF emphasized the need to halt the National Assembly’s continuous amendments to the 1999 constitution, suggesting that efforts should be directed towards drafting a new constitution that would benefit all Nigerians.
Gani, a former deputy governor of Taraba State, stressed that local ethnic groups do not solely cause the ongoing violence in the country. He pointed out that Nigeria is grappling with a multifaceted issue, indicating that the nation is under threat from organized foreign invaders and mercenaries posing as religious extremists.
He questioned why the immediate past administration under Muhammadu Buhari refused to take decisive action and proposed that the Tinubu administration should consider dismantling the terrorist camps if necessary.
The statement reads: “NCEF is calling on the indigenous Muslims in Nigeria to calmly examine these issues and take positions that will be in the long-term best interest of their ethnic groups. What is going on is more than religion.
That enemy is a foreign invader. The killings going on in Nigeria were not motivated by the indigenous ethnic nationalities. Unfortunately, some of the local actors were manipulated into thinking they were pursuing a religious agenda, but the puppet masters have no religious goal in view.”
Gani added: “In light of these facts, the National Christian Elders Forum, NCEF, recommends the following: The implementation of the 2014 National Conference Report, including a draft for a new Nigerian Constitution, should proceed without delay. “NCEF aligns itself with the Patriots Group, which held a conference on March 18, 2024, and called for a new Nigerian Constitution.
The National Assembly’s repeated amendments to the existing Constitution should cease. Instead, legislators should begin crafting a new Constitution for Nigeria. After five alterations with no substantial positive change, the Assembly should start adopting the 2014 National Conference report and its draft Constitution.
“Nomadic cattle rearing should be banned immediately. Cattle owners should be required to establish ranches at their own expense, as independent business owners. The government should not finance one industry at the expense of others in the country. When cattle are sold, the proceeds belong to the owners, not the government.
The RUGA project should be abolished. Firstly, the Federal Government does not have the statutory right to allocate land under the Land Use Act in Nigeria. This responsibility belongs to the states. Business investors requiring land should apply like other citizens. Preferential treatment should not be given to any particular group.
Indigenous ethnic groups should assert their rights and ownership of ancestral lands and maintain control over their regions in Nigeria.
Ethnic socio-cultural groups such as Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Arewa Consultative Forum, Middle Belt Forum, and PANDEF should give serious thought to these matters.”
The forum members include Dr. Saleh Hussaini, Vice Chairman (North); Elder Shyngle Wigwe, Vice Chairman (South); Osaretin Demuren, Prof. Joseph Otubu, Dr Kate Okparaeke, Dr. Ayo Abifarin, and Gen. Zamani Lekwot (rtd).
Others are Hon. Justice James Ogebe (rtd), Elder Moses Ihonde, Hon. Justice Kalajine Anigbogu (rtd), Elder Nat Okoro, Solomon Asemota, SAN; Elder Matthew Owojaiye, DIG P. L. Dabup, Sir John W. Bagu, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, and Dame Priscilla Kuye.
It has been reported that Prof. Deborah Enilo Ajakaiye, HRM Oba Dokun Thompson, Dr. Taiwo Idemudia (Diaspora), Elder Minso Gadzama, Apostle Bulus Musa Kewa, Admiral Peter Adeniyi (Rtd), Hon. Justice Goddy Anunihu (Rtd.), Sir Ferdinand Anikwe PhD, and Pastor Bosun Emmanuel (Secretary) are also part of the forum.
