The Jigawa branch of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has extended felicitations to Muslims in the state and beyond on completing the 2025 Ramadan fast and celebrating Eid-el-Fitr.

The CAN chairman in the state, Reverend Father Maurice Koli-Hassan, stated this on Monday in Dutse.

Mr Koli-Hassan said the association also condemned the recent killing of 16 travellers in Uromi, Edo.

“On behalf of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Jigawa State chapter, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to our Muslim brothers and sisters on the occasion of Eid-el-Fitr.

“This festival marks the end of Ramadan, a sacred month in Islam dedicated to fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. These values and principles are also fundamental to Christianity.

“They should serve as the basis of our peaceful coexistence and unity within the state and the nation at large.

“We strongly condemn the extrajudicial killing of 16 innocent hunters from Kano, who were brutally murdered in an unimaginable and horrific manner on their way from Port Harcourt at Uromi in Edo,” Mr Koli-Hassan said.

The chairman described the killing as a crime against humanity and natural justice. He said it violated the victims’ human rights, freedom of movement, and right to association.

He urged the Edo and federal governments to, as a matter of urgency, bring the killers to justice.

“As Christians, we uphold and value every human life. We sympathise with the victims’ families and call on the governments of Edo and Nigeria to take decisive action.

“The perpetrators of this heinous crime must be brought to justice. Failure to do so could undermine national security and destabilise the nation,” he added.

Mr Koli-Hassan called for prayers and calm during this period of national trial and economic hardship amid rising insecurity.

He emphasised the importance of promoting peace, harmony, and coexistence among ethnic and religious groups, stressing that these values must not be underestimated.

“But peace is impossible without justice,” he added. 

(NAN)