Nigerian Christian Women Express Concerns Over Increasing Attacks

Thousands of women under the umbrella of Women Wing of the Christian
Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN) gathered in Kaduna on Friday
protesting and praying against the increasing spate of attacks on
innocent citizens in the north east by the Boko Haram sect.
The Christian women from the 36 states of the federation and Abuja
were in Abuja for their Annual National Convention. They expressed
concern that women and children were the most affected in the
increasing Boko Haram deadly attacks.
They urged the Federal Government to step up its responsibility of
protecting the lives and property of its citizens and also appealed to
the insurgents to lay down their arms.
The National Chairperson of the association, Mrs Mabel Sowoolu, stated
that thousands of women and children had been displaced since the
upsurge of Boko Haram attacks in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and some other
parts of the north, with no hope of returning to their ancestral
homes.
She expressed fears that if nothing was done by the nation's security
forces to crush the militants, there was a tendency that the
insurgents might overrun the entire country.
On his part, Governor Mukhtar Yero of Kaduna State, who attended the
convention along with wife of Nigeria's Vice President, Mrs Amina
Sambo, solicited the support of women in the enthronement of peace
and unity in Nigeria.
Governor Yero while calling for peaceful conduct of the 2015
elections, also appealed to the umbrella body of Christian women in
the country to lead the way in the advocacy for peaceful conduct of
the 2015 polls.
Several towns in the north eastern states of Yobe, Borno and Adamawa
have been attacked in recent weeks, with scores dead, and thousands of
residents fleeing their homes. Since the attacks started, many women
have been killed, some turned to widows as a result of the death of
their spouses while many children have become orphans.
This situation has raised concerns about the speed of the terrorists'
deadly rampage. The latest being the killing of over 35 students of
Government Science School, Pokistum in Yobe state. and that of a
student at the Federal College of Education, Kontagora, in Niger
State, after a suicide bomber detonated a bomb.
The fear of the Christian women and mothers are that the Nigerian
military may not be able to adequately counter terrorists activities
or may be making things worse.