Buhari: Boko Haram Indicated Willingness To Free Slain CAN Chairman

President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned Boko Haram insurgents for killing Reverend Lawan Andimi after indicating willingness to set him free to third parties. 

Andimi, who was the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Michika local government area of Adamawa State, was confirmed killed by the insurgents on Tuesday. 

He had was abducted a few weeks ago when the insurgents attacked Michika. 

President Buhari described the CAN chairman’s killing as cruel, inhuman and deliberately provocative.

The president spoke in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu.

Buhari commiserated with Andimi’s family and the Christian community in the country.

According to the president, Boko Haram insurgents will continue to pay heavily for their actions and “comprehensively be defeated by our determined armed forces”.

The president urged nations of the world to end all support provided to the Boko Haram and Islamic States in West Africa (ISWA) terrorist groups whose only goal was to sow death, violence and destruction in the sub-region.

The news of Andimi’s killing by the insurgents was first disclosed by Nigerian journalist Ahmad Salkida after which the CAN leadership confirmed the development in a press statement. 

In the statement sent to THE WHISTLER by pastor Adebayo Oladeji, the media and communications assistant to the CAN president, the Christian body regretted that the federal government was unable to secure Andimi’s release from the captivity of the insurgents.

The statement signed by CAN’s Director of Legal and Public Affairs, Kwamkur Samuel Vondip,  said the body recalls “sadly that Late Rev. Lawan Andimi while in captivity made a passionate appeal to the leadership of his church and the Federal Government to come to his rescue. The Church did everything within her reach to secure the safe release of this pastor gentleman but it was not possible because they didn’t have the military power to do so.”

The statement further reads: “The Church views the unabated kidnappings, extortions and killings of Christians and innocent Nigerians as shameful to the government that each time boasts that it has conquered insurgency. It is reprehensible and saddening that each time the government comes out to claim the defeat of the insurgency, more killings of our people are committed. 

“In the light of the current developments and the circumstantial facts surrounding the prevailing upsurge of attacks against the church, it will be difficult for us to believe that the Federal Government under President Mohammadu Buhari is not colluding with the insurgents to exterminate Christians in Nigeria bearing in mind the very questionable leadership of the security sector that has been skewed towards a religion and region! Is that lopsidedness not a cover up for the operation of the insurgency? If not, why couldn’t the well equipped security agents of Nigeria get this man killed rescued?

“While we call on Christians to be calm, we challenge the Federal Government led by President Buhari to be more proactive about effort to get rid of the continuous siege on Nigeria and end the wanton killings and destructions of lives and property of Nigerians if the government is to be taken seriously.  

“Maintenance of security is the least responsibility of any government that knows its worth. We are once again calling on the  President Buhari to purge himself of the allegations of nepotism and religious favouritism by reconstituting the leadership of security outfits. 

“The Federal Government is urged to ensure the release of the prisoner of faith, Leah Sharibu and hundreds victims who are in the Boko Haram and ISWAP captivity before it is too late. A government that cannot protect the governed is a failed government.”