The U.S. Mission in Nigeria has honoured Chief Imam of Nghar Village, Abdullahi Abubakar who protected 200 villagers during attacks on Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau in June 2018.
The U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington awarded the Chief Imam with Ambassador’s Peacemaker Award for Heroism at an interfaith dialogue organised by the embassy on Friday in Abuja.
Symington urged the world to emulate Abubakar’s act of brotherliness which he described as a virtue of kindness to promote global peace.
The ambassador also advised mankind to love each other and let the idea of one family take the centre stage.
“Abubakar’s act of brotherliness raised hope of a cohesive society in the face of growing mistrust.
“Today, there is only one word that matters and that is perhaps, love. Or perhaps, one more word, family.
“With the lesson of this Imam, Chief Imam, this Village Head, this Deputy Imam, and all of those who brought you this story, is a lesson not just for Nigeria, but for all mankind – one family, one race, one love,” Symington stated.
He said that coming together to invest in each other was one of the best ways to end recurrent violence in the country.
“It (violence) will end when all come together and invest in each other and when individuals find the path forward, for not just for their own daughters and sons, but for the daughters and sons of every Nigerian,” he said.
Abubakar said God, who created mankind, had a reason for creating mankind in different forms and brought mankind together and gave a command to mankind not to harm each other.
“God has created us as diverse people. Some black, some white, some tall, some short. God has a reason. He is the only One who knows why he created us that way.
“It is unfortunate what happened in my community which led to the demise of some in the community and by Allah’s grace, some have survived to tell the story,” Imam Abubakar said.
June 23rd, 2018 remained indelible in the minds of indigenes of Nghar Community and the whole of Barkin Ladin Local Government when over 400 hoodlums on motorcycles and armed with sophisticated weapons invaded the area.
They went from community to community on a killing spree and the gruesome attack left 84 people dead.
However, the swift action taken by the chief imam of the community who hid some Christians helped in reducing the number of causalities.
President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has called on all Nigerians to imbibe the value of sacrificing in the interest of the country as demonstrated by Jesus Christ whose selfless service to humanity is being commemorated across the world at this Easter period.
Saraki in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, congratulated Christian faithful in Nigeria and across the world as they celebrate the Easter festivities.
He expressed appreciation to Nigerians for their steadfastness and prayers which have had immense impact on the peace, unity and continued survival of the nation.
He noted that the successful conduct of the 2019 general elections was a direct testament to the sincere efforts and prayers of all Nigerians.
The President of the Senate stated that the Easter period was again a reminder that we have to imbibe the spirit of making sacrifices in the interest of Nigerians as exemplified by Jesus Christ whose birth, life, passion, death and resurrection brought salvation to mankind.
Saraki said: “I believe that our country will become better if we all commit ourselves to selfless service and making sacrifices, both at the individual and collective level. I also believe that Christians, like their counterparts in other faiths, have spent the Lenten Season to stand in the gap for Nigeria in particular and humanity in general. The prayers and fasting of Nigerians have been the bulwark against all the centrifugal and centripetal forces threatening to pull our nation down. We must no relent but only need to add discipline, obedience to law and more intense patriotism to our attitude.
“I congratulate Christians and all Nigerians for the demonstration of faith in our common heritage through fasting, prayer, sober reflection and sacrifices in the interest of the country for which we now commemorate the death and resurrection of Christ,” he stated.
While acknowledging that the country is still confronted by developmental, economic and social challenges, he insisted that all the obstacles are surmountable if we all play our roles patriotically and commit to being our brother’s keeper.
He urged Christians not to relent in their prayers for God’s positive intervention in the affairs of the country at all times.
The Speaker of the Delta House of Assembly, Sheriff Oborevwori, has urged Christians to show love to all Nigerian as they celebrate Christmas irrespective of their religious or political affiliation.
Oborevwori made the call in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Dennis Otu on Monday in Asaba.
The speaker while felicitating with Christians as they mark the birth of Jesus Christ, urged them to reach out to the less privilege in the society.
He said, “Jesus Christ made sacrifice for mankind through his love to the world and I want to urge Christians all over the world to also show love to the needy around them.
“Let us also use the Yuletide season to show one another love in all that we do now and always. Let us be honest with one another and feel the pains of one another.
“We should also use this occasion to reflect deeply on the teachings of the birth of Christ for truth and honesty to continue to reign in our hearts in this season and always.’’
When Christians preach the false prosperity gospel, their focus is on this life. They talk of Christ becoming poor that Christians may become rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9).
But the true gospel is not about poor Christians becoming rich in this life. It is about rich Christians becoming poor. Femi Aribisala Neither is the gospel about this world but about the kingdom of God. It is about the great reward God has prepared in heaven for the redeemed as consolation for accepting the vicissitudes of this life. (Matthew 5:11-12). Nigeria, China miners set to strengthen economic relations The choices are straight-forward. Our consolation can be in heaven or it can be on earth. There is no room for double-mindedness. (James 1:7-8).
If we want to be consoled now, we are going to be dispossessed later. If we gain this life, we will lose the life to come. (Matthew 16:25-26). Role reversal Jesus presents this kingdom dynamic in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man lived sumptuously on earth, while Lazarus lived in penury.
However, there was a reversal of fortune when they died. The rich man ended up in a place of torment, while Lazarus ended up in Abraham’s bosom; a place of felicity. Did the rich man come to such a terrible end because he was a bad man on earth? Jesus never said anything like that. We are not told he abused Lazarus, or that he did him any harm. But he clearly had no concern for him and disregarded him. Abraham simply told him he ended up in a place of torment because he was rich on earth: “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.’” (Luke 16:25). The rich man already got what he wanted. He had big houses, good food, expensive cars, lovely clothes, and high social status. He was complete in them.
But he discovered in death that his comforts were gone for the ages of the ages; whereas the joys of poor Lazarus just commenced. How much better, therefore, is poverty in this life, with the friendship of God, than riches, with all that the world can bestow? And how foolish it is to seek our chief pleasures in this life of merely 80 to 100 years? The rich man became a beggar in death. He begs for mercy for his wayward brothers.
He begs for water. But he who denied Lazarus a crumb in life is now denied a drop of water in death. James warns: “there will be no mercy to those who have shown no mercy.” (James 2:13). Honour God to earn His honour The day is coming when those who now despise the poor would gladly receive kindness from them. Jesus says: “Ask and it shall be given you.” (Matthew 7:7). However, the time is coming when men will ask until they are blue in the face and it shall not be given to them. That is the message that pastors have been careful to hide from Christians.
According to Jesus, there will be a reversal of fortune in the life to come. Therefore, he declares: “Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.” (Luke 6:20-21). At the same time, he says: “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.” (Luke 6:24-25). Those who are rich in this life will be distressed in the ages to come, while those who are distressed now will be comforted. That is the consolation of Christ: “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” (Psalm 126:5).
Death, the leveler In life, many bad things happen to the poor from which the rich are exempted. But death is the equaliser. In spite of his wealth, the rich man could not escape the fate of the poor man. He also died. But the beggar was the first to die. As a rule, the rich live longer. They eat better food, live in more sanitary conditions and have better access to good medical facilities. Nevertheless, they also die in the end. Indeed, it is advantageous to the poor for their miserable life to be brought to a speedy end.
Thus, Isaiah says: “The good men perish; the godly die before their time, and no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to realize that God is taking them away from evil days ahead. For the godly who die shall rest in peace.” (Isaiah 57:1-2). Jesus gave no indication that poor Lazarus was buried. They probably just dumped his body somewhere. He died and people forgot about him. It was good riddance to bad rubbish. But when the rich man died, he was buried. He lay in state, with a train of mourners all around him. They probably put him in a Mercedes-Benz coffin.
His obituary was carried in all the national dailies. Everyone who was anyone was at his burial. An orator was there to sing his praises. A monument was probably erected over his grave. How ironic that the man whose life was thus celebrated was at that very moment in torment for his self-centred life. On the other hand, angels carried dead Lazarus with pomp and circumstance to Abraham’s bosom. While alive, his body was covered with sores; but in death he was without spot or wrinkle. Though poor in life, he was now rich in death.
The misery of the formerly rich man was aggravated by his knowledge of the new felicity of Lazarus. Thus, Jesus said to the Jews who were enriched by the gospel: “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.” (Luke 13:28). Life lessons What lessons are we to draw from this? Men of the world have their portion in this life. (Psalm 17:14). The poor will be consoled in the world to come.
Thus, the men in the Hebrew “Hall of Faith” despised the good things of this world: “They desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” (Hebrew 11:16).
Christians need to tell God emphatically we don’t want to receive our consolation here and now. We want it in heaven. “He that believes shall not make haste.” (Isaiah 28:16). Living in luxury while unmindful of the distresses of the poor and the afflicted is very provoking to God.
He says in Amos: “Woe to you who lie on beds of ivory, stretch out on your couches, eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall… who drink wine from bowls, and anoint yourselves with the best ointments, but are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.” (Amos 6:3-6). Remember what Jesus says: “Many who are first will be last, and the last first.” (Mark 10:31).
Jesus says: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5).
But can we pray without Jesus? Certainly not! Prayer is only acceptable in the name of Jesus. Moreover, when we want to pray, the host of spiritual wickedness in the heavenlies is determined that we should not. Therefore, we fall asleep, are distracted and “buy and sell.”
Offensive prayers
When we offend God, we cannot even pray. The sky over our head become bronze, and the earth beneath us iron. (Deuteronomy 28:23). Our vitality is turned into the drought of summer. (Psalm 32:4).
Therefore, we are desperately in need of God’s help even in order to pray to God. The psalmist confirms this. He tells God: “Quicken us, and we will call upon your name.” (Psalm 80:18). This means before we pray for anything, we need to pray first for the grace to be able to pray. Otherwise, our prayers become a waste of time.
As a matter of fact, our prayers easily become offensive to God. This is what happened to Israel. As a result, the psalmist pleaded: “Lord God All-Powerful, how much longer will the prayers of your people make you angry?” (Psalm 80:4).
For this reason, the disciples came to Jesus with a simple petition: “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” (Luke 11:1). They did not ask him to teach them how to pray. Prayer is simply talking to God. They asked him to teach them to pray. This is because, as with everything else, the grace to pray comes from God.
Many do not know that the acceptable prayer is always according to the will of God. Therefore, Jesus answered the prayer of some disciples by saying: “You do not know what you ask.” (Matthew 20:22). Paul also observes that: “We do not know what we ought to pray for.” (Romans 8:26). Therefore, before we can pray, we need to ask the Alpha and Omega to give us the grace to pray and to direct our prayers aright.
Healing prayers
How does this relate to healing?
When the disciples of Jesus could not cast out a dumb and deaf spirit, he rebuked them, saying: “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me.” (Mark 9:19). When they asked him later why they were unable to cast out the demon, he tells them that type of demon does not go except through prayer.
However, prayer by itself does not heal. Certainly, the prayer of a faithless generation is ineffectual. What heals then? It is faith in God that heals: “The prayer of faith will save the sick.” (James 5:15).
Jesus emphasized this again and again. When a woman with an issue of blood touched his garment, believing she would be healed by so doing, Jesus pointed out to her that her healing did not come from his garment. He said to her: “‘Daughter; your faith has made you well.’ And the woman was made well from that hour.” (Matthew 9:22).
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It is our faith that heals. As a matter of fact, if you have faith, you don’t have to pray for healing. You simply decree a healing and the healing is established. (Job 22:28).
Jesus says: “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (Mark 11:22-24).
Gift of faith
So, the critical issue is faith. How do we get it? Faith comes from God. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17). Jesus is the author of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2). When some Jews asked him: “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” he told them: “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he sent.” (John 6:28-29).
But we cannot just decide to have faith and then get it. Faith is not of works. It is, first and foremost, a gift of God. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8).
Therefore, we need to ask God for faith and pray earnestly for it: “Ask, and it will be given to you.” (Matthew 7:7). We must come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to have faith in God. (Hebrews 4:16). When we do this, God gives us individually “a measure of faith” required to fulfill our petition. (Romans 12:3).
If you want the faith to fight cancer, he will give you the faith to fight cancer. If you want the faith to fight a headache, he will give you the faith to fight a headache. The faith to fight a headache is not the faith to fight cancer. The faith to move a car is not the faith to move a mountain.
Prayer of faith
So, let us go back to the earlier question we started with. Why could the disciples not cast out the dumb and deaf spirit? They could not because they did not have the faith to cast it out. They did not have the faith because they did not ask for the grace to have it. They did not pray for the faith.
James explains this common predicament: “You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss.” (James 4:2-3). But he notes that to those who ask aright, God gives “more grace.” (James 4:6).
How do we ask amiss? With regard to healing, we ask amiss because we ask for healing instead of asking for more grace and for more faith. If you have faith, you will be healed by decree. If you don’t have faith, you won’t be healed. According to your faith, so will it be unto you.
For those who have been paying attention, Jesus emphasized this again and again. When two blind men asked him for healing, he asked if they have faith. When they answered in the affirmative, he opened their eyes by saying: “According to your faith let it be to you.” (Matthew 9:29). When blind Bartimaeus came to him for healing, he healed him by saying: “Your faith has made you well.” (Mark 10:52).
Therefore, it is imperative for us to keep coming to the throne of grace to receive more grace and more faith to deal with the vagaries of life. When the disciples understood this, they said to Jesus: “Increase our faith.” He replied: “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” (Luke 17:5-6).
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye has warned Christians of the danger inherent in mocking or doubting God.
The popular preacher therefore warned Christians to resist mounting temptations to doubt God irrespective of the circumstance.
Adeboye said this in a sermon at the Redemption Camp of the Church.
“Don’t doubt God!” he said. “When you doubt God you are already mocking Him.”
Preaching during the September Holy Ghost Service of the church with the theme “Stronger than your enemies 7: Silencing mockers.” he warned that those who love to mock God or things of God end badly.
Adeboye anchored the sermon on the story of Hannah in the Bible, citing many other instances where people mocked God and ended up on the wrong side of time.
They included people who mocked Noah when he was building the Ark and those who mocked Lot before the fire fell.
He recalled that, “in the days of Lot people were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting and building when Lot went to tell his in-laws that he had heard that destruction is coming but they laughed at him. By the following day when the fire fell, they were not laughing anymore.”
He also cited an example from the days of Moses: “The children of Israel murmured to God that all they had to eat was manna. God said that they were ungrateful so let us give them a bit of judgment. Fiery serpents came among them and many Israelites died. But God said to Moses, make a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole, so that whosoever was bitten and looked upon the serpent on the pole shall live and made whole.
“Do you know that some people still mocked Moses saying we are talking of serpent biting us and you are saying we should look up to a serpent made of brass to be saved? So, as many that did not look up to the brazen serpent died.
He said as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up. “All you need to just do is to look up to Him and be saved,” he explained.
“Don’t mock the call to Salvation. No one is saying that you should look up to a man but to look up to Jesus Christ – the Author and Finisher of our Faith.
“Don’t believe those that tell you that all will be well with you even when you are committing sin. You cannot say that you are a child of God and live a life of sin. You cannot continue in sin and ask the Grace of God to abound – God forbid.”
The world’s most committed Christians live in Africa, and Ethiopia ranks highest for Africa in a new study report released by the Pew Research Center (PRC).
TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Ethiopia, with 98% committed Christians, toppled Nigeria that has 82% committed Christians and Ghana with 89% committed Christians in the world’s most committed Christians report.
“Christianity is the world’s largest religion, with a big presence in most parts of the globe. But not all Christians share the same levels of religious commitment,” PRC noted.
According to the recent PRC study, “Christians in Africa and Latin America tend to pray more frequently, attend religious services more regularly and consider religion more important in their lives than Christians elsewhere in the world”.
The study analyzed 84 countries with sizable Christian populations. In 35 of those countries, at least two-thirds of all Christians say religion is very important in their lives. All but three of these 35 countries are in sub-Saharan Africa or Latin America.
The four standard measures of religious commitment used for the study are affiliation, importance of religion, worship attendance and frequency of prayer.
Findings reveals that Honduras is having 94% committed Christians, Philippines 91% committed Christians, Ghana 89% committed Christians, Colombia 80% committed Christians, Ecuador 80% committed Christians, South Africa 79% committed Christians, Brazil 77% committed Christians and Peru with 74% committed Christians.
Findings also revealed that “at least four out of five Christians in Nigeria, Liberia, Senegal, Cameroon and Chad pray every day” and that more than 60% of Christians in every African country surveyed, said they attend church at least weekly.
The study indicates that Christianity in sub-Saharan Africa is growing the fastest than any other part of the world.
“These findings reflect the broader pattern of Christianity’s “march southward” from wealthy countries to developing ones.
“This phenomenon is particularly evident in sub-Saharan Africa, where Christianity is rapidly growing,” the report stated.
The study attributed the rapid growth of Christianity in sub-Saharan Africa to high fertility rates.
June 23, 2018, will remain a dreadful day to the people of Plateau State. It was the day gunmen, suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, invaded Gashish district communities, dominated by the Berom people, and killed over 200 persons, burnt houses and forced their inhabitants to take shelter at Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDP) camps.
In the wake of the killings, Gashish district in Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area, where the highest number of deaths was recorded, has now become a ghost town occupied by cows and herders.
The Protocol Officer (PRO) of the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN), Regional Church Council, RCC, Gashish, Rev. Dyelman Davwar, inside his burnt apartment in the church premises.
Reminiscing on how the killings started, The Protocol Officer (PRO) of the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN),Regional Church Council, RCC, Rev. Dyelman Davwar, said Fulani militia, armed with sophisticated weapons and machetes, launched attack in Nghar village while women, children, and the aged were asleep.
Speaking with bitterness, he said the attack started in the afternoon of the previous day at about 3 pm, when mourners returning from the burial of a 90-year-old man who attended their church were ambushed and massacred by the Fulani militia.
Afterwards, the murderous gunmen, according to Davwar, moved into villages and began to set homes ablaze. He recalled that as some of the people rushed out in a bid to escape, they were mercilessly shot dead or cut down with machetes.
A burnt vehicle …
Some reports had indicated that the attacks were likely reprisals for cows allegedly stolen by youths from the Berom community in the previous three weeks.
Following the attacks, on Sunday, June 24, angry Berom youths erected barricades on the Jos-Abuja highway and attacked motorists who they believed to be Fulani or Muslims.
In Kakuruk community, one of the affected areas, the COCIN church in Gashish was one of the buildings torched by the assailants. However, in spite of their agony and losses, worshippers of the COCIN continue to meet for fellowship.
On the day TheNewsGuru.com’s correspondent visited the remains of the burnt place of worship, the ceilings were gone and one could see the heavens through the destroyed rooftop. 15 worshippers, undeterred by the destruction and the possibility of another attack, were in attendance.
Their countenances depicted that they were mourning, yet they sang soulfully and danced amid rows of burnt wooden chairs. The crashing noise of their feet on the debris, accompanied by the claps of the hands, provided a sweet rhythm, as all music instruments had also been burnt. Afterwards, the congregants listened to a moving sermon from Rev. Danjuma Bwede.
Pastors on the run, economic activities paralysed – Rev. Bwede
Inside the the burnt apartment of Rev. Stephen Danjuma Bwede, Chairman RCC Gashish, COCIN
At the end of the church service on Sunday, July 29, Rev. Stephen Danjuma Bwede, Chairman RCC Gashish, COCIN, lamented that so many clergies in the Gashish district were now on the run.
He said the deadly attack had reduced the number of persons who attended church services and paralysed economic activities in the community.
Bwede recalled, “We lost about four Churches; we also lost one clergyman here in RCC (name not mentioned). Until his death, he was our secretary here in RCC Gashish.
“We have some pastors who are not living here; they have already relocated to some places like Hepang and Jos. I also no longer have a home here because my house was burnt down. Even my Reverend does not stay here.”
Remains of the burnt Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) church RCC, Gashish
The chairman lamented, “In fact, we live from hand to mouth because we don’t have any sufficient economic cum social activities here. Our farms and houses have been destroyed.
“Government has promised that a police barrack will be established here. We want government to take proactive measures to fulfill that promise”
Bwede appealed to the government to find measures to quickly resettle the victims, stressing that people were not well cared for at the IDP camps.
Killings politically motivated, targeted at Christian community – Davwar
Rev. Dyelman Davwar, who narrated the ordeal faced by victims on the deadly night, however, said the killings were politically motivated.
Asked why he described the invasion as a religious attack, he replied, “I said the attack also has religious undertone because any time they operated, they never spared churches and their pastorium; they are almost the first target. They killed our pastors who are not even indigenes of Gashish.”
Davwar also alleged that the government at the centre was doing everything to reduce Christian population in order to have more of Muslims, whom they perceive will give them the desired votes come the 2019 general elections.
Davwar said, “Many Christians here in Plateau see the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), as a pro-Islamic party because President Muhammadu Buhari is a Muslim and security operatives under his administration have not been fair to us. They have equally failed us and we see it as deliberate because they have an agenda that is best known to them.”
Davwar thanked God for the survivors. He praised security operatives who conveyed some of the affected families to the IDP camp in Hepang, Barkin Ladi and the Geoscience camp in Anguldi, Jos South, among others. He appealed to the government to ensure that they bring them back to their homes in the villages.
Speaking for the federal government, Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo who visited Plateau state few days after the incident disproved the assertion that the killing was politically motivated.
Osinbajo while briefing journalists following a meeting with the warring communities in the state said the crisis is historical.
His words; “A lot of the crises are not a year old or two years old. Many of these crises are almost historical in terms of the number of years that they have continued to manifest themselves. Some have been 10 years ago, some even much earlier.
“It doesn’t matter whether these killings are by herdsmen or villagers or whether it is villagers who in one way or the other have killed others. It is important that we condemn these killings”.
The Vice President, however, assured victims of the unrest that the perpetrators will not go unpunished.
He added, “I think it’s important that there is justice. Those who have been killed cannot just be killed and we allow that to just go by. It’s not acceptable at all. It is our duty to ensure that these individuals are prosecuted and I want to assure you that we will do so. We will make sure that those who have been arrested are duly prosecuted and that others who are engaged in this heinous conduct are also arrested and prosecuted”.
President Muhammadu Buhari has instructed Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State to bring the 83-year-old Imam of Nghar village, Gashish District in the Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, Alhaji Abdullahi Abubakar, to Abuja for “a handshake and national honour.”
Lalong said the President took the decision following reports that the Imam saved about 300 persons on June 24 when suspected Fulani herdsmen invaded about 15 communities in the Barkin Ladi LGA, killing over 200 persons.
The people, mainly Christians, were said to be fleeing from a neighbouring village in the Barkin Ladi LGA when the Imam hid them in his house and mosque.
“I hid the women in my personal house and after that, I took the men into the mosque and hid them there,” Imam Abubakar had stated.
However, the assailants caught up with the Imam, forcefully demanding that he release those who were Christians in the mosque.
But the cleric said deceived the bandits that all those in the mosque were Muslims and upon hearing this, the attackers left him and continued with their killing elsewhere.
Lalong unfolded the President’s plan to honour Abubakar in Jos on Monday during the opening ceremony of a three-day peace and security conference with the theme, “The resurgence of violence in Plateau State: Towards a multi-stakeholder partnership for peace and security.”
The event was organised by the Plateau State Peace Building Agency in collaboration with the United States Institute for Peace, Justice and Security and financed by the US Embassy in Nigeria.
Lalong said, “The President has told me to bring Imam Abdullahi Abubakar for a hand shake which will be followed by a national honour. I was also preparing what to do for this man. Although he is already in his old age, God knows why he did it at that age for us to study and also know how to maintain peace, not only in Plateau State but in Nigeria in general.
“What he did not only saved the people of Barkin Ladi LGA, not only Plateau State but I think the whole of this country because 300 lives is not a small number. So, Alhaji Abdullahi Abubakar, only God will reward you for what you have done.
“We are waiting for that process of meeting the President for a handshake and national honour. Having a handshake with Mr President at the age of 83, I think the man will be happy, even if he is going to his grave, that something has happened in his life.”
The governor also expressed happiness that the Imam’s gesture happened during his tenure as governor of Plateau State.
At the event, the Deputy Chief of Mission and Charge de Affaires, US Embassy in Nigeria, David Young, extolled the virtues of the Imam, describing his action as heroic.
Young said, “Those who work for peace do not belong to one group or another, they are not just Muslims or Christians, they are individuals who give up their lives for goodness and fight evil.
“This man is a challenge to all of us; think about what you do every day. Do you take risks for peace? Would you put your life on the line to protect people from other communities? Think about what that means to us, to your country and to our world.”
He said the circle of violence and attacks, reprisals and counter-reprisals had taken horrific tolls on the people of Plateau State which had affected both Muslims and Christians.
Young also said the killing of innocent people was unacceptable whether in Plateau, Zamfara, Benue, Borno, Delta or Taraba states.
He also called on the law enforcement agents to “arrest and prosecute criminal actors that do evil,” adding that it was absolutely essential that those arrested be made to properly face charges in court, as bringing a criminal action to justice remained the first step to stop the violence.
Also speaking, the Gbong Gwom Jos, His Majesty, Jacob Gyang Buba, called on Plateau stakeholders to be very sincere because of the genuineness of the need for peace, “otherwise we will not be able to develop, but will remain a very backward community.”
The Speaker, Plateau State House of Assembly, Joshua Izang Madaki, represented by his Deputy, Yitmong Shehu Saleh, regretted that the peace that had been enjoyed in the state had been punctured by the recent crisis.
The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), on Wednesday, urged Christians to intensify their prayers for the peace and progress of the country
Uja, made this call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), while reacting to the leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), declaration of National Day of prayer and fasting programme against the killings across the country.
The NCPC boss said that prayer remained the key to the resolution of the country’s numerous socio-economic, political and security challenges.
He called on the Church to continue to pray for God’s intervention and that things would get better for the country in all ramifications.
“The Church should remain fervent in prayers for the healing of the land, ‘enough is enough’ on killings across the nation.
“Fervent and effective prayers will make our leaders to do what is right toward peace and the development of the country.
“I urge everyone in this country to rise and seek for God’s mercy and intervention in every ugly situation in the country,’’ he said.
According to him, Nigerians must continue to have faith and keep trusting God for a better country.
“Let everyone continue to keep praying and doing the right things for the country to get better,’’ he said.
He, however, called on the church to believe in the motto of this nation by preaching Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress at all times for the nation.
Uja also urged the government to rise up to its responsibilities of protecting lives and property of Nigerians, and prosecute suspects arrested for the killings across the country.
He also warned Nigerians against making inflammatory statements that can worsen the already tense situation in the country.
“The responsibility of all persons of faith is so immense, including the obligation to uphold truth and to promote ethical conduct and respect for others.
“Anyone who wishes to be magisterial to issue statements laden with certainty to their followers must first ensure that what they say, or what they are saying is not only factual, but does not result to violence,” he advised.
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