The Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN), has reacted to the Department of States Service (DSS) invitation to join the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah.
Kukah have been criticizing the Federal government led by President Muhammadu Buhari on the rising insecurity, killings, kidnapping and banditry ravaging the northern part of the country.
Reacting to the purported invitation in a statement on Sunday, the YOWICAN threatened to mobilize Christian youths in Nigeria to answer the DSS invitation of Kukah.
The statement signed by YOWICAN President, Belusochukwu Enwere, titled; ‘We will mobilize Christian youths across the country to answer DSS invitation of Bishop Kukah’, advised the Secret Police to first invite controversial Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmed Gumi for interfacing with bandits.
“The attention of YOWICAN has been drawn to the purported invitation extended to Bishop Hassan Kukah, Bishop of Sokoto Diocese. Bishop Kukah committed no offence; rather the government should channel her energy in the fight to liberate the country from terrorists and bandits.
“Recently, more than 200 people were killed in Zamfara State and villagers displaced. This is disheartening indeed. We will mobilise all Christian youth across the country to honour this invitation.
“The DSS has extended her invitation to us, not Bishop Kukah, and we will honour it. The DSS should first invite Ahmad Gumi for questioning for interfacing with bandits.
“Controversial Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, has advised people in the terrorised North-West of Nigeria on how they can live in peace with the armed bandits occupying their forests.”
“The DSS has invited Bishop Matthew Kukah for questioning, days after the prominent Catholic priest ramped up his criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari for failing to curb nationwide insecurity.
“Bishop Kukah had slammed President Buhari in his Christmas sermon, saying the Nigerian leader has failed to show competence as terrorists, bandits and other violent criminals embark on a coordinated and relentless rampage across the country.”
In a similar development, the Youth wing of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) alleged that the purported invitation of Kukah by the DSS is a plot to silence the clergyman.
The SOKAPU National Youth Leader, Isaac John Sirjay, in a statement said;
“Lately, we mourned Mailafia, who, until his death, was a dogged critic of this administration and a regular visitor at DSS facilities. Without ruling out any possibility of harm, we consider the invitation of Kukah by the DSS as one of such ploys designed to silence him at all costs.
“While we urge the bishop to ignore such invitation by the DSS for personal safety, we urge the DSS to focus on the ravaging insecurity across the country, rather than distracting the bishop, who is only pointing the obvious about the decaying state of the country’s security architecture”.
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