Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Archbishop Samuel Uche, alleged that Fulani and Kanuri desperate to get power were behind the Boko Haram insurgency.
He spoke yesterday during the Armed Forces Remembrance Day Interdenominational Service held at the National Christian Centre, Abuja.
The prelate made his comment in the presence of President Goodluck Jonathan, the Senate President David Mark, the military top brass and other important personalities. No one commented on it.
He said soldiers at the war front had disclosed to him and other bishops that apart from some collaborators from Chad, Libya and Somalia, 95 percent of those waging war against Nigeria were Fulani and Kanuri.
The clergyman said but for the involvement of many disgruntled elements, it would have been possible to contain the Boko Haram insurgency.
According to him, those disgruntled elements are using grievous situations for politicking and accusing the incumbent government of doing nothing to tackle terrorism.
He said those sabotaging the war against terrorism and who had allowed themselves to be compromised “are within the political elites, some are within the armed forces and other institutions.”
He further alleged that those behind the insurgency wanted to Ismalise Nigeria and build a parallel caliphate different from the Sokoto Caliphate, saying that could never happen.
He cautioned that any attempt by any group of people “to Christianise or Islamise Nigeria is tantamount to futility and frivolity because this can never be possible unless we want to suffer annihilation”.
“These disgruntled country men and women and have made themselves enemies of Nigeria. These people sabotage every effort of government to bring peace in the north-east of Nigeria. Some shameless individuals and groups make such utterances and use grievous situations as a tool for politicking, blaming the government in power as doing nothing to solve the problem of insurgency. Who is deceiving who? I believe Nigerians are wiser and our people know that it’s sabotage that’s making it impossible for our Armed Forces to recover the Chibok girls.
“Let me reveal to you this evening and at this important service at this juncture that some of our soldiers, because you know we Bishops have impact in the society, we relate with soldiers and all manner of people. And some of the people in warfront have confided in us that apart from some mercenaries from Chad, Libya as well as Somalia, 95 percent of those fighting our country are of Fulani and Kanuri origin.
“They’re aggrieved because they want power at all costs. They believe Nigeria belongs to them alone and that they’re born to rule while others follow. It is deceit.
“The second is that they want to Islamise Nigeria and build a parallel caliphate different from the one we know in Sokoto,” he said.
He said those threatening to form a parallel government after the forthcoming general elections were committing treason, adding, “They should be in prison because they’re committing treason”.
He asked the Armed Forces that “any presidential aspirant that misbehaves should be imprisoned for at least 12 years”.
He said Nigerians understood and were concerned about the plight of the military, asking them, however, to be rest-assured as “every problem has expiring date. We may not know solutions to these problems yet, but let me prophesy without fees attached as some false priest around Enugu prophesied, Boko Haram will be defeated.”
He urged the government to equip the military, take care of all the troops, provide good welfare packages for widows and children of slain soldiers.
Earlier, President Jonathan repeated claims he made several times that there are some “black legs” within the Nigerian Armed Forces.
“Let me appreciate the Armed Forces. Whenever you hear that people have been killed, there is this temptation to say they’re not doing anything. Yes, we know there are some black legs within the Armed Forces, no doubt about that. Some have been caught, some are being prosecuted,” he said.
“As a government, we know that yes, there inadequacies in the military, but be rest assured that we are trying within this period to properly kit and equip you to protect our citizens”, Jonathan said.
Source: Daily Trust
