I am distressed, depressed by killings in Nigeria – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari says he is distressed and depressed
by the ethno-religious killings in the country, appealing to
Nigerians to learn to live together in peace and harmony.

The president said this when he received leaders of the Church
of Christ in Nations (COCIN), led by Rev Dr Dachollom Datiri at the
State House, Abuja, on Tuesday.

Buhari urged religious, community and traditional leaders to do
more in promoting peaceful co-existence among Nigerians.

“As an organised institution (COCIN), I have no reason to doubt
your report on the atrocities being committed in your communities
including the killing of Idris Alkali, a retired Maj.-Gen., the
dumping of his car into a pond and the body of the deceased thrown
into a disused well.

“The communities (in Plateau) have lived long enough to know
that there is nothing they can do without each other than to live
together in harmony.

“As leaders, we must persuade the upcoming generation, using
every channel particularly the educational institutions to live
together with our neighbours.’’

Buhari, who used the occasion to underscore the important role
religious leaders’ play in engendering peace, lauded the exemplary
role of the Imam in Plateau State who risked his life to save
hundreds of Christian families fleeing attacks in June.

“It is not all Muslims that are against Christians and neither
are all Christians against Muslims.

“The leadership in the respective religions have to work harder
to make sure they convince the coming generation that they have to
live together in the same country,’’ he said.

Buhari assured the Christian delegation that he would continue
to exert pressure on the Nigeria Police Force to do the needful in
protecting lives and property.

“In our security arrangement, the police is in the frontline in
making sure that communities irrespective of ethnic or religious
bias, live together in peace,’’ he said.

He added that Nigeria could not afford to take its unity for
granted and allow a return to the unfortunate perils of a civil
war.

In his remarks, Datiri, while condemning the recent killing of
an Army General in the state, chronicled recent attacks against
Christian communities in Plateau and neighbouring states, resulting
in the displacement of thousands of persons.

The cleric appealed to the Federal Government to ensure the safe
return and rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to
their communities, in addition to the rebuilding of places of
worship destroyed in the unfortunate incidents.

The COCIN president also called on the Federal Government to
take adequate measures in ensuring the release of Leah Sharibu and
other abductees of Boko Haram terrorists.

Datiri also requested the President to use his good offices to
persuade some northern states to allocate land titles to Churches,
in addition to directing the Ministry of Education to allow the
teaching of Christian Religious knowledge in schools in the region.
(NAN)