Borno: Cleric Warns Against Politicising Chibok Girls' Abduction

BEVERLY HILLS, CA, May 06, (THEWILL) â€' As global outrage continues to trail the continued incarceration of the Chibok school girls by their Boko Haram captors, a call has gone to Nigerians not to politicise the matter.

The Bishop of Maiduguri Diocese of the Anglican Communion, Bishop Emeritus Emmanuel Kana Mani, who made the call on Tuesday, warned politicians to rather join hands in working toward rescuing the girls. Condemning the ongoing blame game in some quarters, Kana Mani, who is also a retired military officer, said the abduction of the schoolgirls should rather unite every Nigerian in the effort to getting them released.

Lamenting the way the issue is being politicised with politicians seeking to gain political mileage against opponents, the Bishop described the abduction as not only callous, heartless, ungodly, but also a traumatising experience for not only the abducted girls but their parents, guardians and the entire nation as well.

The Bishop gave the warning while speaking at a media briefing in Maiduguri , asking : 'What would you feel if any of the abducted girls was your biological daughter that was abducted by these bad elements, who are trying to hold the Nigerian people to ransom.'

According to him, 'These Chibok girls are the same as Yoruba girls, Ijaw girls, Igbo girls, Bachama girls, Fulani girls and so on, as such, the Presidency, National Assembly and the security operatives must come together as a matter of national security to do something urgently to bring these girls back alive to their parents, most especially now that there is an official proclamation from the insurgents that the girls are in their custody.'

He added: ' I have absolute confidence in the Nigerian Armed Forces to handle this issue professionally and successfully. Let the security operatives be given the necessary backing to enable them discharge their duty of securing our territorial integrity.

' Let all Nigerians of whatever creed, intensify prayer for the survival of the Nigerian state and the release of our daughters. Let us not play politics with security and the lives of our citizens.

Nigerian politicians must stop making provocative and inciting statements and comments for whatever reason. Nigerians should learn the culture of appreciating our security men and women who are paying the supreme price to protect us.'