ZAMFARA KILLINGS: A NATIONAL TRAGEDY THAT DIMINISHES US ALL

The Ven. Tochukwu Sagacious Ikezue Senatorial Campaign Council received with deep grief and outrage the news of the brutal murder of 24 farmers, reported to be mostly Christians, with several others wounded and others abducted by armed bandits in Zamfara State.

1. Our Condolences: We mourn with the families of the deceased. These were fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters who went to their farms in search of daily bread and never returned. No Nigerian deserves to die for simply trying to feed their family. May God comfort the bereaved and grant eternal rest to the dead.
2. This Is Not About Religion Alone, It Is About Humanity: While reports indicate that most of the victims were Christians, we must be clear: the blood of every Nigerian cries out, whether Christian, Muslim, or traditionalist. Banditry and terrorism are enemies of all. We condemn this attack in the strongest terms.
3. A Failed Security Architecture: When farmers cannot go to farm, the nation cannot eat. When citizens are killed in their dozens and the perpetrators remain unnamed and unpunished, the social contract is broken. The Federal Government must treat this as a national emergency, not a routine headline.
4. Our Demands:
   i. The President and Commander-in-Chief should immediately order a full-scale military operation to rescue the abducted and bring the killers to justice.
   ii. The National Assembly must summon the Service Chiefs for a public hearing on the state of rural security in the North West.
   iii. Adequate compensation and trauma support should be provided to the families of the victims and the affected communities.
   iv. Community-based intelligence and vigilante frameworks should be strengthened and properly regulated to protect farming communities.
5. To The Church and The Nation: We call for 3 days of prayer and mourning across churches in Anambra Central for our brethren in Zamfara and all victims of violence in Nigeria. But prayer without pressure on government is incomplete. We must demand accountability.

Nigeria cannot continue like this. The life of every Nigerian matters. If we do not speak for the farmer in Zamfara today, there will be no one left to speak for us tomorrow.

We stand with the people of Zamfara. We stand for justice. We stand for a Nigeria where no one is killed for their faith, their farm, or their tribe.

Signed,
Ven. Tochukwu Sagacious Ikezue
Labour Party Senatorial Candidate
Anambra Central Senatorial District
Awka, Anambra State