The newly elected President of the United Church of Christ in Nigeria, Reverend Amos G. Kiri has told the Federal government to treat killer herdsmen like Boko Haram insurgents.
He said, the Nigerian government must use the same massive tactics in dislodging Boko Haram on herdsmen who are attacking and killing innocent people across the country.
Reverend Kiri made the call yesterday in his speech on the occasion of 51st annual convention of the church, with the theme, “Restoration”.
He noted and lamented that the country has suffered enough casualties in the hands of the herdsmen, and as such they deserved same punitive measures being given the dreaded Boko Haram insurgency.
He, however said that the succeeding war on Boko Haram terrorists should be sustained by the federal government, stressing that killings by both herdsmen and the insurgents must be stopped.
The Christian cleric used the occasion to thank God for granting President Muhammadu Buhari recovery after his sojourn in London for medical attention, adding that the church will continue to pray to God to grant the President good health as he steers the affairs of the country.
He said, “The continuous killings by herdsmen across the length and breadth of this country are a thing of great concern to all peace loving Nigerians.
“May I urge the government to use the same massive attacks used by the combined efforts of the gallant armed forces of Nigeria in dislodging Boko Haram from Sambisa forest on the herdsmen who are attacking and killing innocent Nigerians.
“This country has suffered enough from the hands of the herdsmen. The succeeding war on the Boko Haram terrorists should be sustained. The killing must be stopped.
“Government should provide adequate security for the returnees from IDP camps to avoid unwanted killings. Government must not fail in this responsibility”.
Reverend Kiri also called on federal government to bring palliative measures to cushion the hardship Nigerians are going through as a result of the ongoing economic recession in the country.
He advised that government should intensify efforts to bring back most of the closed industries in order to provide employment for the army of unemployed youth across the country.
