Catholic faithful protest nationwide killings

…Wants Buhari to stop killings
Catholic Faithfuls in Nigeria on Tuesday held a nationwide prayer and peaceful demonstrations against incessant killings and violent attacks in some parts of the country.

The protest which was design to coincide with the burial of the two priests and 17 worshippers who were killed by suspected herdsmen at a Catholic church in Benue State on April 24, also called on President Muhamadu Buhari to put an end to the killings.

According to the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Alfred Adewale Martins the protest was in line with the directive from the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria which directed members to partake in the exercise in supplication to God and in solidarity with those killed in Benue State.

Benue
Vice President Yemi Osibanjo, assured the people of Benue State that the Federal Government will revamp the security system in the country to address the menace of senseless killings and provide justice for the victims of incessant attacks.

Osibanjo, who stated this at Se Sugh Maria, Mbalom, Gwer local government of Benue State during the funeral mass for the two priests and seventeen parishioners who were murdered on the April 24, 2018 during a morning mass.

While conveying the condolence message of President Mohammadu Buhari to the government and people of the state and the Catholic Church, the Vice President cautioned against retaliation and urged the families of the deceased to forgive the perpetrators of sad incident since vengeance is of God.

In his address Governor Samuel Ortom emphasised that no matter the damage cause by the fulani herdsmen who vowed to resist the Anti Open Grazing Establishment Law the people and state government is not deterred but determined to stand on the part of truth and justice.

Governor Ortom wondered why the innocent priests who owned no farm lands were killed in the Church of God adding that ranching remains the best international practice and called on the Federal Government to assist its implementation for stop further killings in the state.

Also speaking the Tor Tiv and Chairman Benue State Council of Traditional Rulers, Prof James Ayatse appealed to the people to restrain from retaliation saying though it is easy to forgive but difficult to forget, God alone can provide justice and console them.

The Tor-Tiv sued for unity and peace among the Church, the political class and traditional rulers to speak with one voice to stop further attack on the innocent citizens in the country.

Abuja
The catholic Arch Diocese of Abuja also joined its members across the country in condemning the spate of killings across the country, stating that enough is enough.

The Cardinal of the Abuja Catholic Diocese, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, called on Nigerians to rise above religious, political and ethnic divides to save the country from drifting into anarchy.

Onaiyekan stated that Nigeria is in a state of emergency, noting that saving the country from anarchy required the cooperation of all citizens irrespective of their religious and political affiliation.

He said this on Tuesday in Abuja at a mass at the National Ecumenical Centre shortly before a procession by Catholic faithful in protest against the killings across the country.

The mass was held in honour of two Catholic priests, Rev Frs. Felix Tyolaha and Joseph Gor, and others who were murdered at Ayati in Gwer East Local Government Council of Benue State by unknown gunmen.

The Cardinal said the killings across the country must stop and called on well meaning Nigerians to unite in fighting “the great evil that had befallen the country.”

He added, “This must not be politicised. The nation is in a state of emergency. We demand synergy; division, especially on tribal lines will only throw our nation into anarchy.”

He called on the federal government to act decisively to end the spate of killings across the country, warning that if murderers were allowed to continue killing, it would come to a time when people will begin to use other means of self-defence.

While stressing that the security of citizens should be considered paramount, the he revealed that the prayer procession held in Abuja on Tuesday was intended to send a message to the master minders of the loss of lives across Nigeria more especially killers of two priests and worshippers in Benue State.

The cleric further admonished the people to be vigilant and be their brother’s keeper.

Onaiyekan called for forgiveness and warned against reprisals, adding that the souls of the righteous are in the hands of God.

He appealed for calm and advised the Christian faithful to show appreciation to God in all situations.

The procession which attracted a huge number of participants took off from the National Ecumenical Centre, Central Business District, terminated at Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro-Cathedral, Garki.

Osun
In Osun State, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Honourable Najeem Salam, condemned the killing of two Catholic priests and other innocent Nigerians in Benue and other troubled parts of the country.

Speaking while receiving protesters from the Catholic Diocese of Osogbo, who stormed the State Assembly complex in their numbers to protest the killings of Christians in Nigeria, described the act as inhuman.

He said that the assembly sympathized with the Christians over the killing of two Catholic Priests, Rev. Fr. Joseph Gor and Fr. Felix Tyolaha as well as seventeen others at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Ukpor-Mbalom, Benue state last month by suspected herdsmen promising that their requests would be adequately looked into.

The protesters had in a two-page statement signed by Very Rev. Fr. Thaddeus Ajayi, Vicar General, Catholic Diocese of Osogbo, registered their displeasure on what they described as an unending killings in the country and requested an end to it.

The statement reads, “What is happening in Nigeria of our time with regards to the value placed on human life is against the will of God, and the Holy Catholic Church in her teaching condemns such in its entirety and those who have the responsibility to safeguard life but are indifferent or incapable are culpable.”

“Security officers who have been found wanting in the performance of their official duties, either by way of compromise or culpable negligence and indifference should be called to account for such a professional misconduct. Those who have demonstrated their incompetence in protecting human lives should be relieved of their duties before more serious havoc is caused by their negligence.”

“While we thank the government of Osun State for the pro-active steps already taken to keep the state safe and peaceful, we ask for more efforts in the same direction, especially as several other challenges are manifesting”

The speaker who received the statement in the presence of other lawmakers promised the protesters that the House will urgently look into their requests and communicate it to the state Governor.

Kogi
The Catholic community in Kogi state on Tuesday despite the heavy rain filed out to join other members across the country to protest the killings of the two priests and 17 other worshippers recently.

As early 8.00am on Tuesday, the adherents gathered at the Bishop’s Court near Government House, Lokoja, from where the procession went through major streets in the state capital.

The Catholics, though drenched with rains continued the protest as they clinched their Rosary in their hands praying.

Earlier before they filed out for the rosary procession,the Bishop of Lokoja Diocese, Bishop Martins Olorunmolu while addressing the adherents said there was too much bloodshed in the nation and called on the Federal government to do something urgently to address the situation.

He said “a country where Christians can no longer worship their God freely for fear of attacks and killings was a serious threat to the peaceful coexistence of such nation” and therefore called on politicians to avoid playing politics with human lives

The protesters later ended their procession at the Immaculate Catholic Cathedral, Lokoja with prayers and Thanksgiving.

CAN
For its part Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) told President Muhammadu Buhari to put his 2019 presidential bid on hold and attend to the security problems occasioned by the criminal activities of the terrorists, herdsmen and bandits.

Speaking while commiserating with the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) during the conduct of the mass burial for its two priests and parishioners killed by the Fulani herdsmen in Benue State, the CAN President, His Eminence, Rev Dr Samson Olasupo Ayokunle said, ‘’Buhari’s ongoing campaign for re-election without plans to stop the state of anomie in Nigeria is scary, making Nigerians to believe that Nigeria had more than before become unsafe, more for Christians and ethnic groups marked for genocide’’.

In a statement by its Special Assistant (Media & Communications) Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, Ayokunle charged the president not to fold his arms and watch misguided Nigerians, mostly Boko Haram and herdsmen promote killing in the name of politics and ethnics while solution appears very elusive.

CAN said, “It is disheartening to note that criminal Fulani herdsmen, bandits, kidnappers and other hoodlums have reduced Nigeria to a banana republic.

“This development is unacceptable and we call on all well meaning people anywhere in the world to join hands in praying for the deliverance, freedom and liberty from this self inflicted bondage.

‘’While CAN is not opposed to the President’s exercise of his civic right by seeking re-election to the office for the second time, we urge him to halt it meanwhile and attend to the security problems occasioned by the criminal activities of the terrorists, herdsmen and bandits.

‘’we asks you to suspend your re-election bid until sanity is restored to the country while ensuring the release of Leah Sharibu, the remaining Chibok girls and other abductees from the captivity of the Boko Haram terrorists’’.

Describing the present moment in Nigeria as a trying time for the church, the Christian body also urged all Christians to identify with the Catholic Church in its nationwide peaceful protest against senseless killings in Nigeria.

CAN asked the Nigerian security agencies to rise up to the security challenges in the country adding that the security operatives have no excuse, while no one should be blamed for the failure to stop the unending senseless killings in Nigeria.

The body expressed dismay that killing of innocent is assuming global embarrassment with mass burial being carried out at all times without a country like Nigeria fighting a war and further prayed for comfort to the bereaved, accelerated recovery to those who are recuperating from the wounds and multiple injuries sustained from terror attacks in the past years and few months. ,