Prelate and leader of the Methodist Church in Nigeria, Chukwuemeka Kalu-Uche, has declared that the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris “is for Muslims”.
He said killings in Benue and other states were being carried out by herdsmen known to the authorities.
Kalu-Uche insisted that government could disarm the herders if it really had the political will.
Mr Kalu-Uche stated this at the end of his 7-day apostolic tour of the Arch-Diocese of Abuja, Nyanya and Kubwa. He also backed ex-Minister of Defence, Theophilius Danjuma’s comments that Nigerians should defend themselves.
His words; “You think we are not watching and seeing? The time has come for Nigerians to defend themselves. We of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, have told Nigerians to prepare to defend themselves, even with cutlass, but they should start with prayers.
“If they think they have all the arms and ammunition, they are deceiving themselves. They don’t know what goes on in the creeks, and there are areas that the military doesn’t even go.
“I am praying that Nigeria does not become Rwanda. Because the way they are going, if what they are planting starts, nobody is safe and nowhere will be safe,” he said.
“I want to tell you that there are sympathizers outside. I had phone calls from outside the country asking me to confirm whether on the Dapchi School girls that only Muslim girls were released, and the only Christian girl detained. And I told them yes, but our government is making efforts to release her.
“I want to tell you even the outsiders are working hard to deceive us and after destroying us, they would come back and tap our oil. May be the government does not know. I want you to blow it open, that people want to destroy us as a nation and it is possible.
“So, I would not want a repeat of what happened in Iraq to happen here. We should be very fair and practice real democracy.
“So, it has come to the level if Boko Haram could come to Dapchi to drop the girls, no challenge and went back, and soldiers were withdrawn, it means that apparently, the government is siding one religion against the other. That is the implication,” he said.
“Who is deceiving who? Nigeria is a secular country. I would not want Israel, Germany, France, America England, Australia, and other Christian nations to besiege us. But when they come, Iraq will come, Iran will come, and other Muslim nations would come and then the third world war may happen in Nigeria.
“And that is the way we are going. The Church must pray, genuine Muslims must pray so that we do not have these kinds of problems in this country. It is clear the leadership is turning its eyes the other way, supporting one religion against the other.
“Those herdsmen carrying guns, if they don’t have the backing of those in government, they would not have the audacity, the impetus to do what they are doing, especially the police, the Inspector General of Police, IGP, who have now shown himself as a Muslim, quote me, quote me. He is not for everybody, he is for Muslims, and we don’t want that. He should be for all of us!