A Christian cleric, Rev. Fr. Livinus Ikechukwu, on Monday urged groups and individuals making various agitations in the country to be peaceful in their approach.

Ikechukwu, also the Parish Head of St. Augustine Catholic Church, Ikorodu said in an interview with  Newsmen in Lagos that violent agitations would not bring any good changes.

The cleric warned that the only thing that would be achieved using threats and violence to make demands was chaos, destruction and retrogression.

He pointed out that peace was needed to address development issues and justice, urging for dialogue with government for better results.

“My advice to the various groups and people making agitations for one thing or the other is that they should be peaceful in their approach.

“They should not take up arms, issue dangerous threats or engage in other acts that can undermine the public peace.

“Rather, they should engage the government on their demands using dialogue and other peaceful means.

“Violence brings destruction, deaths and disruptions, retrogression, which might never be repaired or corrected,” Ikechukwu said.

The cleric, however, said agitations arose from bad governance and injustice and urged the government to be alive to its responsibilities to the people.

He urged the government to address the issue of poverty and ensure equity among the different ethnic groups in the country.

Ikechukwu said the present state of affairs needed divine intervention and urged Nigerians to pray for the peace and prosperity of the country.

The cleric said the Catholic Church had been praying for the good of the country and would continue to do so.

On the terror being unleashed by criminals on residents of Ikorodu, Ikechukwu described it as a sad development.

He said the activities of the members of Badoo cult in the area, who murdered people in cold blood in their homes “was nothing but evil.”

The cleric noted that residents now enjoyed relative peace, attributing the development to prayers and efforts of residents and police.

He said all the Catholic churches in the area just completed 9-day prayer and fasting to seek God’s intervention on the problem.

“We just finished a 9-day prayer and fasting in all our churches here on this issue of Badoo cult.

“And we are happy that God has answered our prayers as the problem has subsided.

“We will continue to pray because there is no way evil can prevail over light in Ikorodu.

“I urge everyone to continue to pray for the peace and security of this area and I urge the police to do more to bring the culprits to book,” Ikechukwu