Religious extremism could kill Nigeria, Jonathan warns

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said if Nigeria fails to address religious violence and extremism, the menace will destroy the country.

Making specific mention of the unending killings in Southern Kaduna, the former President also declared that the solution to the Niger Delta crisis was already included in the report of the 2014 National Conference, held in Abuja.

He contended that military action would not solve the agitation in the region, stressing that it would create secessionist groups in the region.

Jonathan, in his presentation to the United States House Sub-Committee on Africa, on Wednesday, said failure to apprehend culprits of previous religious killings had emboldened those who engaged in such acts.

Jonathan added, “If, as a nation, we do not kill religious persecution and extremism, then religious persecution and extremism will kill Nigeria.”

“The potential danger associated with the level of conflicts going on across the country is so glaring that no sane mind can ignore.”

He noted that security agencies had a history of failing to apprehend the culprits.

Jonathan stated, “Your invitation (of the sub-committee) letter profusely highlighted the issues of the killing of Christians in Nigeria, the last major incident being the recent killings in Southern Kaduna in Kaduna State, and I do not need to elaborate on that.

“The challenge is how we stop that from recurring. How do we ensure that Christians and Muslims co-exist peacefully in Nigeria and practise their religions freely without discrimination, molestation and killings?”

He stated that although there had been more than 10 major incidents of ethnic and religious violence in Kaduna State since 1992, only in one were the culprits punished.

This, the former President said, was in Zango Kataf, when the Ibrahim Babangida administration sentenced 14 persons to death over the riot in the area.