Ishaku Ahmed Dikko, a retired army general and former president of Tarayyar Masihiyawan Nijeriya (TAMANI), an organization of Christians from the central North of Nigeria, has expressed concern over ongoing threats to his life and the lives of his family members.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
“The threats have been mainly due to the sensitivity of the Christian association in the core North and the religious, political, and ethnic dangers inherent in being members,” Dikko wrote in a letter to the head of TAMANI’s Board of Trustees (BoT).
When things got really bad, he added, he and his family had to migrate from town to town and state to state out of dread of the unknown, because as TAMANI President, they were exposed to more obstacles and perils of death and terror.
A few years ago, Maj. Gen. Dikko (Rtd) told about a near-abduction incident involving his family that he decided not to make public. At our previous residence at No. 7, 61 Road, B Close, Gwarinpa 2 Housing Estate, Abuja, my family was very nearly kidnapped.
Around 7:00 p.m., a group of criminals arrived in two black jeeps and attempted to enter the residence in a commando fashion. Luckily, the gate was securely locked, preventing them from entering. He claimed, “A neighbor noticed the situation and promptly notified some guards at a nearby house.” Dikko claims that the incident led him to decide to sell the house and flee for his family’s protection, even though the bandits eventually fled.
He brought up a 2015 event in which his family’s farm/holiday house was set on fire while the kids were on vacation, while also reminding the chairman of the numerous threats to his wife’s and kids’ lives. Even though the arsonists proceeded to burn the entire farm, he said it was only by God’s grace that they managed to escape unharmed.
For the Huasa, Fulani, and Kanuri Christians, who are regarded as a minority, the risks we faced were quite significant only because we stood for justice, truth, and faith. He reaffirmed, “My personal stance is still to grant our people their rights in their communities and throughout the nation.
But, given that his wife and kids are currently in danger from the unknown, Dikko pleaded with the Board of Directors, the executive, and the members to allow him to take a break from leading the Association. He also promised to continue serving the Association in any way he could, emphasizing that nothing would ever be able to keep him from the love of Christ.
It is known that TAMANI, led by Gen. Dikko (Rtd.), increased its preaching and taught the youth to avoid violence during the period in 2014 when Boko Haram terrorism reached a high level in the northern states and some southern states.
The association TAMANI is a gospel mission-oriented association, which encourages and empowers Christian youths and organisations in northern Nigeria. It is believed that the idea of the initiative is not well received by the powers-that-be in the country, mainly the north.. CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
