Cele cleric warns Buhari over ‘ethnic cleansing’ in Plateau, Benue, others

The Head of Celestial Church of Christ, North Central Province, Superior Evangelist John Babalola, has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to halt the ongoing alleged ethnic cleansing by suspected herdsmen in Plateau, Benue, Taraba and other parts of the country.

Babalola said Celestial Church of Christ and other churches have been destroyed, leaving the worshippers languishing in IDP camps, Churches and in different parts of Plateau State.
The Clergy, who took over the Celestial Church of Christ, North Central, said President Buhari should protect all citizens without bias and shouldn’t allow Nigerians continue with the perception that his government is presiding over ethnic cleansing in the country.

He said, “I want to task our President to do more to protect all Nigerians. When a section of this country is been killed, I believe as a President he will not be happy because a community will not forget easily a king that reigns and people rejoice; likewise it will have a negative perception of a king that torments and terrorizes citizens.
“President Buhari needs to be proactive; he should not let people see him as being in favour of one religion against another. He must protect all citizens and should not allow people to see him as if he is presiding over ethnic cleansing in the country”, he maintained.
According to him, “The killings in the country, particularly in Plateau, Benue, Taraba, Zamfara and other parts of the country have scared foreign and local investors from coming into the country. We must pray collectively to God to help us restore peace.”

Babalola further stated that Nigerians have lived peacefully in the past where there were no religious, ethnic and political differences that front line political parties had Muslim/Muslim ticket with the back up of Nigerians.
“What we need now is for people to embrace each other and forget ethnic, religious and political differences. Fighting and using arms to kill each other will not benefit us and is not in the interest of God.”
He decried the manner in which a Pastor of COCIN Church, Abonong, Rev. Adamu Gyang, his wife and three children were recently roasted like chickens and the church destroyed in Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area of the state.
He, therefore, called for protection of the helpless, armless and the hopeless people in the society.