The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has said that the internet shutdown in Kaduna State gives the wrong impression that everything was calm, noting “Kaduna is not”.
CAN also observed that democratic governance is about securing people and giving them rights and not necessarily about building bridge.
CAN alleged that many of their members were either kidnapped or killed in Kaduna State, but a conspiracy of silence would not allow the world to know.
Speaking in an interview, the Vice President of CAN in the North, Rev Joseph John Hayab, said “that’s why anytime you hear us challenging government, challenging security agencies, not that we don’t appreciate what they are doing.
“We are only saying look, you’re not doing it for good results. You are, instead, doing it to protect and give criminals cover.
“Work with all of us so that we would get the result. The peace of Nigeria is my peace. It’s the peace of my family, the peace of my children.
“We are not born to be anybody’s enemy. We are simply saying do the right thing.
“I’ve enumerated to you days and places that people were abducted, within the last one and a half month.
“But because they’ve shutdown the internet, the impression is that nothing is happening and that Kaduna is calm.
“Kaduna is not (calm).
“I’ve given you figures. If I give you added them, you’ll find out that from October 3 to today, bandits have abducted no fewer than 200.
“Because I can confidently tell you on October 3, about 46 were abducted; October 23, there were nine people.
“One person, who was shot, died on the 30th. Then on 31st, there were 66 taken.
“When you add 46 and 66, you already have 112. Plus nine, you already have 120. Then you start talking about others.
“The two, three, four or six hear and there. Then you talk about what just happened on Abuja road the other day and the second day.
“So, if I estimated 200 people, I’m not wrong.
“The impression is ‘now just because they attacked people on Abuja Road, that’s why people are knowing that bad things are still happening’.
“But bad things have been happening around and nobody is talking. Okay, there was also another kidnap that happened in Zaria within the period in question.
“There was also another kidnap that happened in Kasuwan Magani within the period in question — I cannot tell you how many in number.
“Some of these things how do we know? Because of the system of CAN. We work with the community.
“CAN works with the people to the extent today, that if they kidnap someone from a family, they think that we have what it takes to help them.
“So, they would report to us. Rev. Dauda Sule here in Kakau Daji; his own should be around November 5 or 6.
“He went to farm here in Hayin Nariya somewhere behind Rigasa and was picked.
“Last Sunday, after long negotiations the bandits asked his wife to come with a certain amount.
“They took the money and kidnapped her. She is also with the bandits as I speak to you.”
