The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has charged President Muhammadu Buhari to end the killing of Christians by terrorists in Zamfara State before they resort to self-defence.

It also urged the security agencies to defend Churches in the state to prevent terrorists from carrying out their threats against Christians.

General Secretary of CAN, Joseph Bade Daramola, made the plea, while reacting to threat letter sent to Christians in the state asking them to stop worship and to close down churches or risk attacks.

In a statement issued, Daramola said: “Now that a Federal High Court has declared the bandits as terrorists, we ask the police, the military and other security agencies to tackle the terrorists, who have turned kidnapping into a big business in the North East.”

He lamented that with the way and manner in which the security agencies have been treating insurgency lately, there was no hope of wining the war against terrorism in the country.

“Criminals are criminals irrespective of their religious, political and ethnic affiliations and they should be treated as such. We also urge the Department of State Security (DSS) and Inspector General of Police (IGP) to investigate those speaking for the terrorists with a view to unmasking their sponsors and beneficiaries of their criminality.

“In a recent visit to Sokoto and Kebbi states, the leadership of CAN was alarmed at the record of criminals, who are killing and kidnapping Christians in the zone, as if there was a pact between them and security agencies.

“Now that the leaderships of Christianity and Islam are working together on how to stop their criminality in the North West, they are now trying to introduce divisive ways by declaring war against Christians and churches in the zone especially in Zamfara State where they are gradually turning into their stronghold,” the statement reads.