Worried over the loss of lives and properties that occurred on Thursday in some parts of the country, the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), has appealed to Nigerians to call over the ongoing nationwide protest over hunger and hardship.
This was contained in a statement signed on Friday by the NIREC co-chairmen; Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammed Sa’ad Abubakar, President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Archbishop Daniel Okoh, as well as the Executive Secretary of NIREC, Rev. Fr. Prof. Cornelius Afebu Omonokhus.
The leadership of NIREC said it “observes with a heavy heart the happenings in the country at the moment. The protest that commenced peacefully on Thursday, August 1, 2024, despite pleas from all quarters, took a turn for the worse and became violent later in the day. In just a few hours lives and property were lost due to this unfortunate scenario.
“It is without doubt that there is hunger and hardship in the country but civil unrest is not the solution as it would only further aggravate the already frail state of the nation. NIREC hereby calls on fellow citizens of Nigeria to please call off this protest and give the Government a chance to redeem itself.
“In just one day lives and an enormous amount of property have been destroyed. Imagine if this continues for a prolonged period, only God knows the extent of damage that would be incurred.
“The Council calls on the security agencies to be more professional in the discharge of their duties. NIREC urges the government to expedite action towards meeting the yearning and needs of the citizens. We need a peaceful and tranquil nation we can be proud to call our own. May God bless us all.”
