By Yinusa Ishola – Nigeria –
A Christian cleric, Prophet Christopher Owolabi, on Monday called for an end to killings in Ikorodu, Lagos State, in the interest of national security, progress and peaceful co-existence.
Owolabi, the General Overseer, Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Ori-Oke Irapada, Omu-Aran, Kwara, made the call during a special prayer for Nigeria’s democratic development in Omu-Aran.
The cleric said that the killings by a cult known as Badoo should be a cause for concern for all Nigerians, adding that it deserved to be treated as a matter of urgency and national importance.
He urged that the federal and Lagos State governments should deploy adequate resources to end the killings without delay.
The cleric noted that Lagos was inhabited by people from various tribes and states of the federation.
“The killings in Lagos should be a concern of every Nigerian irrespective of ethnic, religious or political background, as the state is home for all,” he said.
According to him, Nigeria does not need anymore insecurity.
“The nation, with its numerous socio-economic challenges, should not witness anymore security threats, especially, as we look forward to another electoral process in 2019,” he said.
Owolabi urged improvement in intelligence gathering by security operatives, adding that they should be able to arrest and expose those behind the killings.
He, however, commended the Lagos State Government for efforts so far in checking the killings.
Owolabi urged governments to give priority attention to youth employment as a strategy to curb crime.
He also appealed to religious leaders to intensify efforts toward promoting a violence- free society.
