Boko Haram/ISWAP: Group condemns abduction of CAN Chairman

…… berates Chad over withdrawal of troops on counter-insurgency operations

The Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights (CALSER) has condemned the kidnap of Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Michika, Adamawa State, Mr Lawan Andimi.

The group, in a statement on Monday, blamed the Boko Haram/Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) and withdrawal of 1,200 Chadian troops meant to be supporting the counter-insurgency efforts for the abduction.

According to Roland Okupe, Director of Communication and Strategy, CALSER said this was another demonic plot by the terrorists to whip up sectarian anger targeted at breaking Nigeria up along religious lines.

CALSER alerted “Nigerians and the rest of the world to the fact that Boko Haram/ISWAP are now pursuing the last leg of their agenda which is to target people of a particular religious group for evil as to portray Nigeria and the government as an ineffective in tackling the scourge of terrorism.”

The Centre, therefore, appealed to Nigerians not to fall for this ploy by ensuring that they take holistic views of issues relating to the new wave of attacks by these terrorists.

While demanding that Boko Haram/ISWAP immediately release Andimi and any other abducted Christian, the group urged “the military and other security agencies not to leave any stone unturned in bringing perpetrators of the act to justice”.

Read full press statement below:

The Centre for African Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights (CLASER) has condemned the kidnap of the Michika branch chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Mr Lawan Andimi, and the Boko Haram/Islamic State West African Province (ISWA) attack that made his abduction possible.

The attack and the abduction of the clergyman who is also a CAN Chairman in Adamawa State, by criminals operating under extreme Islamic ideologies is another demonic plot by the terrorists to whip up sectarian anger targeted at breaking Nigeria up along religious lines.

The terrorists have discovered that they are no longer able to sow terror in the hearts of Nigerians hence the resort to provoking the Christian community into feeling persecuted in the hope that they will then launch indiscriminate attacks on Muslims in a way that will result in mutual destruction of the adherents of both major religions in Nigeria.

CALSER therefore alert Nigerians and the rest of the world to the fact that Boko Haram/ISWAP are now pursuing the last leg of their agenda which is to target people of a particular religious group for evil as to portray Nigeria and the government as an ineffective in tackling the scourge of terrorism.

We appeal to Nigerians not to fall for this ploy by ensuring that they take wholistic views of issues relating to the new wave of attacks by these terrorists who now seem fixated on causing sectarian provocations in the hope that the strategy will help them destabilize Nigeria.

Such strategy could only have been arrived upon by the terrorists after review of their persistent recent failings and losses to the Nigerian Military that have ensured that they no longer have free reign to torment innocent Nigerians.

While demanding that Boko Haram/ISWAP immediately release Lawan Andimi and any other Christian they might have abducted, we urge the military and other security agencies not to leave any stone unturned in bringing perpetrators of the act to justice.

Meanwhile, CALSER has noted with disappointment the decision by the authorities of the Republic of Chad to pull out the country’s 1,200 troops that were meant to be supporting the counter-insurgency efforts in Nigeria.

In our view, the Chadian troops withdrawal is hasty, poorly thought out and badly timed. The withdrawal should have been put on hold considering other world occurrences with geo-strategic consequences for the counter-insurgency efforts in the lake Chad Basin. There has also been injection of logistic support for the terrorists reportedly by Chad’s colonial boss, France, which would have necessitated that the withdrawal be delayed until the region becomes more stable.

The troops withdrawal if the face of glaring persuasion to the contrary is another conspiracy by France and their allies to further expose the people of north east Nigeria to harm consistent with Boko Haram/ISWAP agenda to destabilize Africa, which they have unfortunately sanctioned.

This behaviour is totally irresponsible as it is inhumane, it is a failing that can only be remedied by Chad re-committing and deploying fresh troops to replace those they have pulled out in error.