By Daji Sani in Yola
The federal government has on Friday sent a high Powered delegation team to condole with Adamawa Christian community over the killing of two clergy men last Monday.
The Secretary to the Federal Government of Nigeria (SGF), Boss Mustapha, who led the delegation to the state expressed President Muhammadu Buhari’s sadness over the dastardly act.
He further revealed that the federal government was working assiduously to restore sanity in the land.
Mustapha urged the Christian community in Adamawa not to regard the killing of the two clergymen as threat against Christianity.
He said Nigerians should never yield to the antics of purveyors of violence who want to polarise them along religious lines.
“What happened is a sad moment in the history of the State and the nation as efforts are being made by the present administration to secure lives and property of its citizens,” he said
He said the government was working round the clock to address all forms of social insecurity in the country and called for sobber reflection over the murdered of the two clergymen, Pastor Dennis Bagauri and Rev Lawal Andimi.
“The Federal Government is putting serious effort in averting Boko Haram, but all of a sudden kidnapping banditry and other acts of criminality have taken the center stage, especially in the northern states.
“Insiders must be collaborating with outsiders to perpetrate these heinous acts,” he regretted.
The SGF called for calm and tolerance urging Nigerians not to bring issues that will bring more grief to the affected communities.
He prayed God to grant the slain clergy men eternal rest and the Christian community the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
Responding, the chairman, Christian
Association of Nigeria (CAN), Adamawa State chapter, Bishop Stephen Dami Mamza, stated that president Muhammad Buhari “has soften our hearts with the high powered delegation to commiserate with the Christian community in the State.”
He added that the visit had given Christians assurances of hope and sense of belonging.
The CAN chairman assured that the Christian community will team up with the Muslim community to flush out undesirable elements that are causing bad blood between the two major faiths.
Mamza added that the people causing enmity between Christians and Muslims in the society were quite small compared to the larger society.
He said the cordial relationship existing between Christians and Muslims will continue to wax stronger despite the antics of terrorists who want to truncate the existing convivial relationship.
The Boko Haram insurgents had earlier in the month abducted the CAN chairman of Michika local government, Rev Lawal Andimi and executed him last Monday despite the effort of the church which tried to secure his freedom, a development that caused disquiet in Nigeria.
