By: Danjuma Attah, Gombe
The Northeast Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Nigeria says it is deeply disturbed by the heinous attacks on Bokkos Communities of Plateau State which claimed over a hundred and fifty lives.
Pastor Joshua Ezra Mallum, President of the Conference in a Press Release made available to newsmen, said the Church condemn in totality, the unprovoked attacks on the peaceful Communities which has set the residents of Plateau State mourning.
Pastor Mallum said unprovoked attacks were launched on the peace-loving people of Bokkos, Barkin Ladi and Mangu Local Government Areas of the State by a group of blood-thirsty gunmen on the eve of 2023 Christmas, claiming the lives of many women, children and the aged; as well as properties worth billions of naira destroyed.
He expressed the Church’s utter dismay, shock and sorrow, noting that the acts were as senseless and barbaric, just as they were unjustifiable.
The Church therefore calls on Government to step up efforts at ending the recurring attacks as well as fishing out perpetrators and bringing them to book by the requirements of justice.
The church, while mourning along with the victims of the heinous attack, also called on security agencies to beef up security measures to curb further occurrences and restore the erstwhile peaceful status quo of Bokkos, Barikin Ladi and Mangu LGA’s and Plateau State as a whole.
It also enjoined Government agencies, corporate organizations and good spirited individuals to expedite action for immediate provision of relief materials to displaced victims and those in the IDP camps.
Part of the statement reads thus: “The Seventh-day Adventist Church is deeply disturbed by the recent rounds of gruesome attacks and is hereby expressing her stern position of disapproval and outright condemnation.
“The recurrence of such, especially over the past few years hints at a well-calculated orchestration aimed at achieving an evil agenda of decimation for obvious reasons.
“The Church also observes with chagrin that despite repeated calls from well-meaning groups and individuals on the Government to set up a machinery for tackling the security challenges in Plateau State and across the Federation, repeated manhunts and genocidal invasions of territories have become the order of the day, sometimes happening for long hours within the proximities of security outfits and in manners that overwhelm the inhabitants of the besieged communities.
“More worrisome is that these recent attacks were perpetrated in broad daylight, unlike the previous ones that were achieved under the cover of the night dark.
“It becomes much more worrisome that any distress cries through the modern means of communication that promises to be swift and efficient to get the attention of security personnel seem to dissipate into thin air as if the community has been thrown into a region of oblivion from where it cannot be heard.
“The Church acknowledges that the people of Bokkos, Barkin Ladi and Mangu, and indeed Plateau State as a whole are peace-loving and hospitable people undeserving of such visitation of mayhem.
“Moreover, we encourage the entire people of Plateau State to remain steadfast in its reputable peaceful disposition and to initiate measures of protection against further attacks.
“While the church mourns with Plateau on the dastardly act, we take solace in the word of God that sorrow, death, and pain will all end when Jesus wipes away all tears in our eyes Revelation 21:4.
“Finally, we pray with the peace-loving people of Plateau State for God Almighty to expose the hidden plans of the enemies and bring their schemes to nought”, Pastor Mallum prayed
