World Council of Bishops writes Buhari asking him to pardon men sentenced to death for killing herdsman

GLOBAL Christian clergymen's association the Supreme Council of Bishops also known as World Council of Bishops has written to President Muhammadu Buhari asking him to pardon five young men sentenced to death by an Adamawa State court for killing a Fulani herdsman.

Over recent years, Nigeria has been bedevilled by the menace of heavily-armed Fulani cattle herdsmen attacking farming villages, killing dozens. In response, many of these farming communities have formed local vigilante groups to protect themselves and in some cases, they have carried out reprisal attacks.

On June 11, a Yola High Court sentenced five men from Kodomun in Demsa Local Government Area of Adamawa State to death by hanging for murdering a herder in retaliation to the several killings in the area. In a letter to President Buhari on the matter, though, the bishops noted that Nigeria has suffered untold bloodshed from killings, maiming and the traumatisation of innocent citizens as a result of the frequent attacks by the militia herdsmen.

Their letter, dated June 13 and sent from the World Episcopal Headquarters in Texas, in the US, was routed through the Africa Episcopal Headquarters in Lagos. Among those sent a copy were vice president Professor Yemi Osinbajo; senate president Bukola Saraki; chief justice of the federation Walter Onnoghen; speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara; secretary to the government of the federation Boss Mustapha; Governor Mohammed Jibrilla of Adamawa State and the state’s attorney-general, Silas Sanga.

Titled Special request for presidential pardon: Killing by hanging of five young men, the letter was signed by Archbishop P. Sunday; Ecclesiastical Prelate Administrator, Houston, Texas, United State, Archbishop (Dr) H. Parker; Apostolic Nuncio and Prelate to Africa, Lagos, Nigeria, Bishop (Dr) J Onyegbulem and Ecclesiastical Prelate to West Africa, Niamey, Niger Republic, Bishop (Dr) J. Hussein. In the letter, the bishops argued that what Nigeria needs now is peace and tranquillity.