Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has encouraged Nigerians not to be intimidated by suspected bandits and kidnappers when they come knocking.
Rather, the association said all should be bold enough to defend their property and their lives from being forcefully taken away by the suspected bandits.
Kwara state Chairman of CAN, Most Rev Paul Olawoore said during a chat with reporters in Ilorin on the sideline of this year’s World Communication Day.
The clergyman said: “Before advising the Federal Government I want all of us to stand on our feet to defend what belongs to us. Someone cannot just come out of the blues to dispossess us of our belonging and we fold our hands without challenging him or her. He or she will succeed, but if we put up a resistance he/she will think twice.
“If they are carrying sophisticated weapons like AK47, there are some things we can also hold to disarm the person with AK47. The fact is that we are all afraid and just surrender easily to them. My advice to all of us is that we should stand to take charge of our property.
“The way out of the current security challenges is for every one of us to devise means of how to curb the menace.
“Those perpetrating the atrocity are very minute compared to the population of Nigeria. Still the few they are, they send some signals to the rest of us that we become jittery. We become afraid.
He urged government at all levels to ensure the security of our live and property of Nigerians, saying “that is the oath they have sworn to on assumption of office.
“If they are not faithful to the oath they have taken, we should use our own power of voting them out of office. Our votes still count. We should in the next election vote for the ones that will protect our lives and property and not the ones who do not care whether we are dead or alive.
“I therefore appeal to the Federal Government to stand up to its responsibility, because it is in charge of the military. There should not be sacred cows in the punishment of caught offenders.”
The shoot on sight of anyone with AK47 pronouncement of the Federal Government is yet to be implemented.
They said the president has given the order and these people are still going around killing and maiming.
