The Kwara State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has appealed to the federal government to close down public secondary schools in the troubled spots in the  North-east, pending when peace returns to the region.

A statement issued in Ilorin at the weekend and signed by its chairman, Professor Timothy Opoola, said the call became imperative following the killing and kidnapping of pupils by insurgents in the region.

The statement said: "The continued wastage of young people would jeopardise the future of the country."
CAN also expressed regret that government had not been able to come out with concrete solution to the security challenges confronting the nation apart from mere promises to tackle them.

The association statement also asked political office holders to make fairness and justice a way of life instead of being mere public slogans so that they can inspire the people to follow them.
The statement read: "The recent bomb blast in Abuja which killed many innocent people, and added to its horror the abduction of several female students by people suspected to be terrorists, has become a matter of grave concern to all right thinking Nigerians.

"As a body of believers, we are worried particularly that we are all watching the future of our country being destroyed without  any reasonable result being seen to have been achieved in the steps we are constantly told are being taken to curtail the incidence.

"We recall with regrets that this year alone hundreds of lives have been lost to this insurgency and a number of her causes; and we are even much more concerned about the attack on innocent young people who have no hand in whatever misfortune the aggrieved insurgents might have been protesting against.

"We believe it is high time that our government took much more proactive measures in curtailing the further spread and occurrence of this menace which is cutting away the future of our nation because the innocent children being killed are the people we would expect to replace our aging population some day.

Also in Bauchi State, the Chairman, CAN in North-east geo-political zone, Rev. Shauibu Byal, has called on the federal government to strengthen security at the nation's borders.
Byal made the call in an interview with NAN in Bauchi, noting that strengthened security, especially in the North-east geo-political zone of the country, was essential.

According to him, when there is adequate security, it will reduce the rising level of violent cross-border attacks by the Boko Haram insurgents.

He urged the residents of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe to be vigilant and inform law enforcement agents promptly of suspicious movements or activities that could threaten the security and peace of the region.

"I want to re-emphasise that Nigeria has the money to build strong walls and create entrances to check the influx of citizens from other neighbouring countries," he said.