From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu
The Anglican Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Rt. Rev. Samuel Ike, has said that Nigeria is capable of wiping out insecurity this year, if the leaders will muster the resolve and political will to fight it.
Prof Ike who stated this in his New Year message, expressed dismay that kidnapping and killings have continued in the South East despite claimed efforts of the government.
Lamenting that recent spate of abductions, the Bishop called on the governors of the South East region to live up to their responsibilities.
His words: “The hydra-headed persistent insecurity in the country has seemingly remained insurmountable to the combined efforts of our gallant Security, Defence and Intelligence Services and Agencies.
“The kidnappers, the bandits, the terrorists (lately added in the fray are the Lakurawa terrorists in Sokoto State) have remained unchecked in their lawless and rampaging activities. Since the first week of December 2024, a retired Archbishop of the Anglican Communion and his driver, were kidnapped in Anambra State; and nothing has been heard of them till date. A Reverend Father was killed in the same Anambra State.
“These latest incidents are wake-up calls for the governors of the Southeastern states as well as the Joint Security and Armed Forces, to live up to their basic responsibility of protection of lives and property of the citizens.
“We call on the Federal and subnational governments and the National Security Defence, and Intelligence Forces to be more honest and dedicated, focused and synergised in tackling this unacceptable, unsavoury and national-image denting monster that has seemingly remained the signature identity of Nigeria for years.
“It is continuously decimating our citizenry, workforce and food security; drying up the raw materials and incentive for our few surviving industries and medium and small scale enterprises and fast eroding the Foreign Direct Investments (FDI’S), as well as bleeding our foreign reserves through the humongous amounts spent on national security and defence.”
The Bishop reiterated his call on the government to effectively deploy both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches; effective proactive surveillance and intelligence devices such as drones and others, to stem the ugly cancer in the life of the Nigerian nation.
He described 2025 as “another year of keeping hope alive – for improved social wellbeing; improved means of livelihood, resources and food security as well as human development index in our dear nation; vastly improved national security and stability; improved peaceful coexistence in all parts of our country and improved performance in all sectors of our economy.”
The Bishop urged Nigerians to return to fear of God and righteousness.