BAKARE: Herdsmen killings can trigger civil war

A Lagos pastor, Tunde Bakare, has called on the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to quickly checkmate the incessant killings by herdsmen across the country before it leads the country to another civil war.

Bakare, who is the Serving Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly, stated this during his sermon at the Lagos-based church, on the subject ‘All Things are Ready.’

According to the cleric, the “country is moving towards another collapse” with the division among different groups and violence in the country; adding, that Nigerians might be forced to retaliate against the rampaging herdsmen if security agencies failed to stop their unreasonable killings.

He said, “We are at the verge of another collapse, if care is not taken. We are pushing ourselves into the (edge of the) precipice of another civil war.

“All these marauders, called herdsmen; if you don’t checkmate them quickly, and the people begin retaliation against what they are doing, we will begin to kill ourselves again. And violence and corruption will rob us of the great future which God has for us.”

Bakare during the sermon also cautioned attempts by some Nigerians to over-emphasise the nation’s ethnic differences and said that such will undermine Nigerians’ unity and leave the country in a precarious situation.

Noting that the country has its challenges, Bakare said, people should not allow those shortcomings of Nigeria to form the basis for any attempt to destroy the fabric of the society.

“When I slept in Umuahia many years ago and heard a cockcrow in the morning, it was as if I was in my village. I do not see the difference between Igbo and Yoruba other than the language which God created and culture which people develop themselves; and rather than tearing ourselves into pieces, we can begin to understand ourselves,” the cleric said.

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He went further to say, “This is the time to pause and think of ‘what is my role in this?’ How do I bring change to my own immediate territory of influence? How do I see beyond this evil, Hausa/Fulani, Yoruba thing? How do we forge a nation?’

“There are 12 tribes of Israel but there is only one nation of Israel. They have their own civil wars; they have their own challenges, but that purpose of God for them is still there today. Israel is a formidable force to reckon with today.

“The enemies have turned us against ourselves. Rather than maximising our potential and taking advantage of our differences, we are now hating ourselves and thinking evil of ourselves.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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