Leaders of thought and elder statesmen from four of the six geo-political zones of the country, under the aegis of the Southern and Middle-Belt Leaders Forum, (SMBLF), have condemned in very strong terms the spate of targeted terrorist attacks on churches, and abduction of church leaders.
The SMBLF also reiterated its call for the urgent need to establish State Police in order to nip in the bud continued cases of terrorism, killings, kidnapping and wanton destruction of lives and property in the country.
It equally called on the Federal Government and the National Assembly to ensure the requisite legislative instrument to address the issue, instead of indulging in meaningless lamentations.
Rising from a meeting in Abuja, the leaders warned that the ambiguity of the Federal Government and the failure of the security agencies to decisively deal with the situation could buttress the argument that officials of the Federal Government and security agents were complicit in the security anomalies in the country.
In a communiqu issued at the end of the meeting, the leaders also noted that with the continuous abdication of governments primary and abiding constitutional responsibility of safeguarding the lives and property of its citizens, Nigerians had been sent the dangerous signal of resorting to self-defence.
The communiqu was signed by the chairman and South-South leader, Edwin Clark; Afenifere leader, Ayo Adebanjo; Ambassador Okey Emuchay, Secretary-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide for the President-General, and National President of the Forum, Dr. Pogu Bitrus.
