Catholic Bishops of Nigeria (CBCN)
has called on all Catholics in Nigeria as well as other Christians and persons
of goodwill to unite in prayer and penance for peace and security in Nigeria.
In a press statement jointly signed by Most Rev. Augustine Akubeze and Most Rev. Camillus Umoh, president and Secretary
of the association respectively, the call was in response to repeated
barbaric executions of Christians by the Boko Haram insurgents and the
incessant cases of kidnapping for ransom linked to the same group and other
terrorists which have traumatised many citizens.
“Today is Ash Wednesday. On this
day, Christians all over the world begin a spiritual journey of repentance
marked by prayer, penance, almsgiving and other forms of charitable works. We
do this to participate more intimately in the suffering of our Lord Jesus
Christ, in preparation for the celebration of the solemn feast of his
Resurrection at Easter.
“As we begin the Holy Season, we, the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria, invite all
Catholics in Nigeria as well as other Christians and persons of goodwill to
unite in prayer and penance for peace and security in our country. The level of
insecurity in Nigeria today is such that whether at home or on the road, most
Nigerians, in all the parts of the country, live in fear. The repeated barbaric
executions of Christians by the Boko Haram insurgents and the incessant cases
of kidnapping for ransom linked to the same group and other terrorists have
traumatised many citizens.
“That the perpetrators of these
heinous crimes make public shows of them on social media and Nigerians, do not
hear of any arrests or prosecution of the criminals raises grave questions
about the ability and willingness of the government to protect the lives of the
ordinary Nigerians. To make matters worse, many communities are constantly
threatened, harassed and sometimes even sacked by herdsmen, as they seek to
take over more territories to graze their cattle forcefully,” the statement
read.
The group
said it was aware of its moral responsibility hence the need to remind
government of her duties, “Aware of our moral responsibility, may we, once
again, remind all the arms of Government in Nigeria and all whose
responsibility it is to protect Nigerians that without security there can be no
peace and without peace there can be no development or national growth.
“We, therefore,
appeal to the Government to immediately put a stop to this unprecedented wave
of violence and brutality aimed particularly at Christians. We also call for
the arrest and prosecution of all those behind these senseless killings that
sow the dangerous seeds of hate and distrust among the various segments of the
Nigerian society,” the group maintained.
It continued “We are sad. We are
in sorrow and grief. But we are confident that the light of Christ, which
shines in our hearts, will brighten the dark corners of our Nigerian society.
As a mark of mourning for all our brothers and sisters who have been victims of
the most recent wave of violence against Christians, we are all dressed in
black today and offer our prayers and penance for their repose.
“We invite the universal Church
and all Christians to join us in prayers for our dead brothers and sisters and
for peace and security in Nigeria. We equally appeal to the international
community to come to the aid of the Nigerian government in the fight against
these daredevil terrorists, who want to graze our country. The consequences,
should they succeed, will be grave not only for the West African sub-region but
also for Africa as a whole.”
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