By Luminous Jannamike

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has urged the Federal Government to be ruthless against bandits, terrorists, and other violent groups in order to displace them from their the country.

According to the umbrella Christian body, doing so would also be a mark of honour for the gallant officers (322 police and 642 soldiers) killed in combatant attacks in Nigeria between Q4 2020 and Q3 2021.

A research and intelligence firm, SB Morgen (SBM) Intelligence, in a new report, had said that apart from the slain officers, 1989 bandits, 973 Boko Haram members, 290 cultists, 129 Vigilantes, and 100 IPOB members also died in the same period.

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Reacting, CAN’s Vice Chairman (Northern region), Rev. John Hayab, lamented that the ultimate sacrifices paid by many young people fighting to defend the nation had been made to look pale by the unabated insecurity.

He told Vanguard , “It is sad to know that many Nigerians have paid the supreme sacrifice for peace in this country, but the continual lingering of the evil of banditry and kidnapping have made it difficult for citizens to see and appreciate.

“These great losses of police, soldiers, and the vigilantes are popularly known as civilian JTF who are mostly in their youthful age is a great loss to the nation and the impact may not be seen now, but in a short future, the nation will come to realize the danger and devastating effect of the vacuum that the killings of these huge number of personnel have caused the country.

“If we truly want to honor and appreciate those gallant men and women who sacrificed their lives for the peace of this country then our Government should ruthlessly go after all bandits, Boko Haram, cultists, and any other group that has now been designated as terrorists. These evil people should not be shown any mercy.”

VANGUARD NEWS NIGERIA