Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari’s leadership is more divided than at any time in the country’s history, the Christian Association of Nigeria’s Adamawa State chapter has declared in a letter sent to him yesterday (1 August).

Condemning the “mindless massacre” of the predominantly Christian farming communities by Fulani herdsmen, CAN claims that no prominent security operations are being carried out against the herdsmen “because they are Mr. President’s kith and kin” – referring to Buhari’s Fulani heritage.

“As Mr. President may be well aware, that there is hardly a day or two that there is no major raid or two taking place; leaving scores of local people across several communities dead, with properties worth millions of Naira [Nigerian currency] destroyed,” the letter states.

CAN says it is “disturbed” that the killings are ongoing despite its repeated calls for toughened security measures. “The president must act fast to prevent it,” CAN says.

The organisation says there has been a “conspiracy of silence“ regarding the attacks as, CAN claims, government officials “detest when journalists broadcast news on herdsmen killings”.

Calling for an immediate order from Buhari to the military to stop the attacks, CAN demands protection of lives and property; the deployment of Special Forces in Adamawa, and the establishment of a new military force there; justice and fairness, saying the government should not take sides; and shelter, food and medical provision for internally displaced people.

“We demand an end to killings in our state and the country at large,” the letter concludes.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s #BringBackOurGirls movement, which campaigns for the release of girls kidnapping by Boko Haram from a Chibok school in 2014, has renewed its calls for the release of the 112 girls still in captivity.

In a statement released on Twitter on Monday (30 July), the group asks:

“When will Nigeria’s enemy [Boko Haram] be truly defeated? When will our 112 #ChibokGirls be rescued? When will #LeahSharibu [the Christian girl kidnapped in Dapchi in February] come home?”