Herdsmen’s killings: Christians urged to boycott beef

As reaction to killings by herdsmen, a fellowship of heads of ministries and missions, Koinonia Ministerial Network (Komnet), has called on Christians to quit the consumption of beef.

This formed part of its submission at the end of its first quarterly prayer retreat held from January 21 to 23, 2018, in Lagos, which featured fervent prayers for peace and divine intervention.

In a communiqué made available to TribuneChurch by Apostle Tony Olukoyede and Pastor Simon Okpanachi, the international president and the national secretary of the fellowship, respectively, they gave two reasons for the boycott: “This is in protest of the fact that herdsmen value the life of a cow than that of a human being. This is also in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who were murdered in cold blood by herdsmen because of cattle in several parts of Nigeria.”

While condemning what it described as “deliberate and brutal killings by herdsmen,” they expressed their condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, and prayed that the Holy Spirit would comfort them all.

The fellowship advised Christian leaders to mobilise their followers to take active part in politics, noting that “it is important for Christian leaders to encourage their followers who are eighteen old and above to get their INEC voters card particularly now that the 2019 elections are around the corner.”

The communiqué read: “We reject any attempt by government to Islamise Nigeria but we advise the Federal Government of Nigeria to respect the Nigerian Constitution which recognises Nigeria as a secular state. We appeal to the Federal Government to call the killer herdsmen to order to avoid turning our beloved nation into a battle field.

“We the members and leaders of Koinonia Ministerial Network (fellowship of Apostolic Leaders) have decided to boycott the consumption of cow meat in Nigeria till further notice in solidarity to the good people of Benue State whose sons, daughters and parents were murdered by herdsmen in the most dehumanising way ever imagined.

“We urge all levels and organs of government of this nation to rise up to their constitutional responsibility of protecting the lives of all citizens of this country irrespective of tribe and religion.”