The Christian Association of Nigeria CAN, has urged the Federal Government to set machinery in motion immediate to investigate a video footage indicating that the Turkish government is one of the financiers of insurgency in the country.
“We are disturbed by the failure of the Federal Government to react to the footage going round that the Turkish government is allegedly funding the terrorists,” CAN said in the statement by its Director, Legal and Public Affairs , Evangelist Kwamkur Vondip.
It warned the government against rehabilitating repentant insurgents, saying the action was suspicious.
The religious body again urged President Buhari to walk his talk on the release of Leah and all others in Boko Haram captivity.
It said: “The President made this same promise as part of his campaign promises before the 2015 presidential election. When will he do it as he has promised repeatedly?
“Recently, President Buhari was widely reported in the media reiterating his resolve and promise to secure the release of all persons abducted by the Boko Haram terrorists, especially Miss Leah Sharibu and the Chibok girls.
“It is two years now since the young Christian girl and unarguably, the face of the Church in the country, Miss Sharibu, was captured by Boko Haram along with her colleagues but she is the only one still languishing in the den of her captors as a captive of faith simply because, against the pressure from the terrorists, she would not convert to Islam.
“It is disheartening and painful that the government that freed her colleagues has not deemed it fit to secure her freedom, despite the fact that those in government have children or grandchildren of her age coupled with the fact that her father is a serving Police officer.
“The same fate is the sad narrative of the Chibok girls’ mass abduction since 2014 after initial freedom of a few of them. We commended the government then for securing the freedom of some but since then, the rest have remained in captivity.”
CAN added that it was deeply saddened by the puzzle of kidnapping, ransom payment and the non-release of Leah, her reported present condition as well as other victims.
It said: “The unsuccessful efforts to free the prisoner of faith by the Federal Government is highly disturbing, disappointing, depressing and unacceptable.
“More so that some abductees and persons kidnapped by the terrorists have had their ransoms paid and freed through the efforts of the Federal Government, relevant security agencies and some international non-governmental organisations.
“The recent sad narrative about Miss Sharibu’s maternal condition is worrisome.”
The apex religious body in Nigeria also expressed concern over the de-radicalization, and empowerment of repentant insurgents by the Federal Government, saying it fears they may return to Sambisa Forest to resume their activities.
It said: “The setting free of so-called ex-Boko Haram terrorists under de-radicalization, rehabilitation, empowerment of the arrested terrorists by the Federal Government is rather troubling and suspicious.
“ What is the guarantee that the freed ex-terrorists would not return to Sambisa Forest and pick up their arms against innocent Nigerians? Media reports have it that a kingpin of the terrorists who was released has found his way back to the bush.”
