Former head of state, Yakubu Gowon, on Sunday led Nigeria Prays group in a ‘prayer rally’ for peace to reign in the Northeast and Nigeria at large.
Speaking during the one-day rally held in Bauchi, Gowon, the group’s national chairman, said the purpose of the rally was to intercede for the country as it grapples with terrorism, insurgency and various kinds of security challenges.
Gowon said: “Lord as your people, we bring confession of the needless bloodshed, killings and attacks by the dreadful Bok Haram insurgency, banditry and the spate of kidnappings and all kinds of evil in various parts of the country.
“Lord we plead for your forgiveness, mercy and cleansing of the land.”
Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, commended Gowon for the rally.
The governor said Bauchi State and the region were proud of the initiative, adding that the state needed prayers to overcome the challenges of overpopulation.
He said that because the state accommodated people escaping from crisis zone, the population had risen from 4.6 million to 7.5 million.
“We also need prayers because we have more than 1.3 million out-of-school children and we need prayers to overcome agents of darkness and under development,” Mohammed said.
