SAN FRANCISCO, July 19, (THEWILL) – A non-religious and apolitical civil society coalition, the Minority Interest Rights Advocates in Nigeria, MIRAN, has strongly condemned what it termed the unwarranted act of terrorism exhibited by some youths without provocation against Parishioners and the Clergy of St. Philips Catholic Church, Baki Iku in Niger state.
Reacting to the incident as reported last Friday, the Lead of the coalition, Comrade Iyah Iyah declared that the action of the youths was unacceptable and barbaric at the time when forward thinking world leaders and the sane are fighting terrorism.
He charged law enforcement agents in Niger and other neighbouring states to identify and apprehend the criminal elements and their sponsors, bring them to justice, so as to serve as a deterrent to others.
The MIRAN Lead called on those hiding under the guise of religion to propagate their criminal and political agenda to think twice as no nation survives a religious war and no one can win any.
Noting that Nigeria is a circular state with no official religion, Iyah stressed that every Nigerian has a liberty within existing laws to worship by his or her own faith anywhere and at anytime as enshrined in the country’s constitution.
He advised the clergies of all faiths in Nigeria to be vigilant and protect young worshipers against being indoctrinated by religious bigots.
The MIRAN Lead maintained that what happened in Niger state was not as a result of hunger or poverty but a deliberate provocation aimed at further destabilising the country. He recalled how the present Boko Haram menace started and the then immediate narratives by some special interests and the rest is history.
He advised Nigeria youths to rather demand for good governance instead of being used by criminal elements in the name of religion or politics for selfish and personal gains, adding that the group awaits the action of government and security agencies in this regards and will continue to monitor situations.
