Catholics on Tuesday staged a nationwide protest, calling on the Federal Government to end indiscriminate killings of innocent citizens.
Seen by observers as a sign of mounting discontent over government’s handling of alleged killings by herdsmen and armed bandits, the protest is the first of its kind by the church in Nigeria.
It was planned to coincide with the burial of two Catholic priests and 17 parishioners murdered by gunmen on April 24, at the St. Ignatius Quasi Parish, Mbalom, Gwer East Local Government Area (LGA), Benue State.
Earlier, the Cardinal Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, in a statement, had rallied faithful, saying, “because of the barbaric killing of human beings in Nigeria, and erosion of the perception of life as sacred, and in union with the Diocese of Makurdi, Benue State, we want to express our deepest displeasure over the ugly happenings in our country and pray for the nation.”
The victims were laid to rest at the Sesugh Maria Pilgrimage Centre, Ayati, on the outskirts of Ikpayango, Gwer East LGA, at about 2:45 p.m.
The choice of the site, according to the Bishop of Markurdi Diocese, Most Rev. Wilfred Anagbe, was to honour the deceased as martyrs. “If our places of worship are no longer safe, then where can we run to?” Anagbe asked, expressing hope that the deaths would bring about peace in all parts of the country.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who was accompanied by top politicians and state officials, expressed the Federal Government’s resolve to end similar attacks, vowing the perpetrators of the church killings would be punished.
At the mass burial for the slain victims of the herdsmen attack on the Catholic parish, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo assured Nigerians that the Federal Government would deploy everything in its arsenal to stop the killings in Benue State and other parts of the country.
He conveyed the condolence message of President Muhammadu Buhari, and lamented that attacks on places of worship which started a few years ago, had become one too many.
While condemning the senseless killings, he said the killers only killed the flesh but could never “touch the spirit that belongs to God.”
He said the killers gained nothing other than causing grief to the families, friends and the entire country, wondering what they had to gain by causing pain or anguish.
Osinbajo said though the dead had gone, it behoves the government to provide succour and comfort for those that were left behind.
“We can ensure justice for them by apprehending and punishing the assailants. We must rebuild the many places that have been damaged and heal the wounds that have been caused.
“We must rebuild and revamp our security system of law enforcement to ensure that all that live and work in this land are safe; most importantly, we must and will stop these senseless killings.
“Sometimes evil seems to be winning but as night follows day, this evil will be defeated and good will triumph.
“There’s none, perhaps all of us, who are not angered and outraged by these killings. The bitterness and anguish of the families of the deceased are palpable. We all see it and we all feel it and it is impossible to look around here today and not be deeply saddened by the faces of so many who have lost their loved ones,” he said.
Osinbajo, who was accompanied to the event by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, condoled with the Catholic Church and prayed that God will build His church in the state, saying that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
At the burial, Onaiyekan restated the killings must stop and urged Nigerians to unite and fight the evil trend that has befallen the country.
He warned: “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 to anarchy.”
The Federal Government must be decisive. For if murderers remain unchecked, citizens would be tempted to defend themselves, he said.
The cardinal, however, cautioned against reprisals, urging Christians to be calm and trust in God.
The Tor Tiv, His Royal Majesty, James Ayatse, also enjoined the people to refrain from reprisals, and commended the Catholic Church for restraining its members.
Although he condemned attacks on communities in the state, Governor Samuel Ortom nevertheless commended moves by the Federal Government to stop the crisis.
He disclosed that attacks by herdsmen have claimed the lives of 492 people since the beginning of the year.
“These people were in the church and not on their farms. By this act, they (killers) have moved their narrative to include other motives,” he said.
“We know our killers, but they are not arrested or invited for interrogation. They have stated at several fora that they would reclaim the land,” he said, urging the Federal Government to do more to curb the attacks.
Ortom insisted that the state’s Anti-Open Grazing Law remains the solution to ending clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the country.
He said that the state was conducting a mass burial for the third time this year, adding that 492 people had been killed by herdsmen since the beginning of the year.
Ortom, who again expressed shock at the murder of priests and worshipers in the house of God asked: “What was the offence of the priests and the parishioners? Perhaps the church now grows grass to feed their cattle or the parishioners were in the farms.
“What kind of nation are we, which direction are we heading? We should have a nation where there is freedom of worship. The blood of these priests will not go in vain, their death will mark stability of the nation, and we will not stop crying until justice is achieved. We have an unbroken spirit to adhere to the anti-open grazing law.”
Marches were held in Lagos, Ibadan, Umuahia, Jalingo, Abeokuta, Osogbo, Uyo, and Enugu, among others.
Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to prioritise the security and welfare of citizens and bring the killers to justice.
He led thousands of adherents to Alausa, Ikeja, to meet with Governor Akinwumi Ambode, and deliver a complaints letter for the President.
The Special Assistant (Civic Engagement) Mr. Adeyemi Onabinjo and Special Adviser (Religious Matters) Rev. Dr. Verralls Kolawole received the marchers on behalf of the governor.
The letter reads in part: “Mr. President, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) in its most recent letter to you (Buhari) posed some very strong questions – ‘How can the Federal Government stand back while its security agencies deliberately turn a blind eye to the cries and wails of helpless and defenseless citizens who remain sitting ducks in their homes, farms, highways, and now in their sacred places of worship?’
“Weeks later, we are still waiting for answers to these questions. Left defenceless, ordinary Nigerians get killed while politicians and privileged ones go about with security details.
“Mr. President, justice cries out for all innocent Nigerians who have died in the hands of gun-totting herdsmen. The time has come for you to act fast and put to rest all the insinuations being pandered all over about you.”
In the Federal Capital Territory, protesters led by Auxiliary Bishop of Abuja, Most Rev. Anselm Umoren, marched from the National Christian Centre to Area 3 Pro Cathedral, chanting protest songs. They also bore placards with inscriptions that included ‘Stop These Killings’, ‘Enough Is Enough’, and ‘The Killers Must Be Arrested’.
“Mr. President, we wish to remind you that rampaging squads of terrorist herdsmen who have turned Nigeria into a killing field seem to be above the law, because we are yet to hear of any arrest and prosecution of these murderers who have continued to amuse themselves with the blood of innocent Nigerians,” said Umoren.
After the procession, the Director of Communications, Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Rev. Fr. Patrick Alumuku, said the church has discovered Christians are now the target of the herdsmen.
“We don’t know if government is listening. But we hope that government listens. A government that does not listen ends up where it is heading, because the government is obviously heading in a wrong direction,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has supported the Catholic Church and the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) over the conduct of the mass burial for the two priests and 17 parishioners killed by herdsmen in Benue State, as well as the nationwide protest that the church staged on Tuesday.
The association also called on President Buhari to halt his planned second term bid, as it was not in the overall interest of the nation.
CAN president, Reverend Sampson Supo Ayokunle, said this is a trying time for the church in the country and urged all Christians to identify with the Catholic Church in its nationwide peaceful protest against the senseless killings in the country.
Ayokunle expressed dismay that the killing of innocent citizens had become a global embarrassment with mass burials being carried out repeatedly in a country that is not at war.
His words: “Buhari’s government should not fold its arms and watch misguided Nigerians, mostly Boko Haram and herdsmen, promote killing as a pastime in the name of politics and ethnicity while solution appears very elusive.
“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.”
On Buhari’s presidential ambition, Ayokunle explained that while CAN is not opposed to the President’s right to seek re-election for the second time, “we urge him to halt it in the meantime and attend to the security problems occasioned by the criminal activities of the terrorists, herdsmen and bandits”.
“CAN asks President Buhari to suspend his re-election bid until he restores sanity 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.
“Buhari’s ongoing campaign for re-election without plans to stop the state of anomie in Nigeria is scary.
“CAN prays 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,” he said.
Speaking on the current status of Jerusalem, the CAN president once again congratulated the Israeli government on the relocation of the capital to Jerusalem and on the 70th anniversary of the country.
“Unarguably, the relocation is the special anniversary present from the God of the patriarchs. We appreciate the leadership role of the United States in the landmark historic event.
“We are happy that countries such as the United States of America, Guatemala, Honduras, Romania and Paraguay have relocated their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
“The declaration made by President Donald Trump on December 6, 2017, was a fulfilment of the Biblical prophecy and it is our prayer that other countries including Nigeria will relocate their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
“At a press conference addressed by our late General Secretary, Rev. Musa Asake, on January 16, 2018, we condemned in strong terms the position of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government that voted against the position of the U.S. on the historic decision.
“We declared that the Christian Association of Nigeria was compelled once again, to draw the attention of the Buhari administration to the non-aligned status of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in international conflicts.
“We have had cause to express great apprehension when in December 2015, President Buhari, without giving consideration to Section 10 of the Constitution, as well as to the sensitivity of Christians that constitute over 50 per cent of the Nigerian population, led Nigeria to join the Saudi Arabia initiated Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC).
“Since then, there have been other disturbing actions of the president internally, that border on the adoption of Islam as a state religion in a secular state.
“These include the promotion of Sharia-compliant finance, using state resources, violation of the federal character principle in the Constitution by appointing mostly Muslims to head security units in the nation, and the inability of the government to arrest and prosecute rampaging Islamic militias, amongst others.
“Recently, Mr. President once again dragged Nigeria to interfere in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by voting against the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel at the United Nations. The non-aligned status of Nigeria demands that Nigeria should have abstained from voting, either for or against, when the issue came up at the UN.
“The Christian Association of Nigeria is placing on record that the negative vote of Nigeria over Jerusalem was not the consensus of the citizens of this country,” he said. – Caption: Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Dr. Alfred Adewale Martins (middle) and other Catholic faithful protesting against the killings of innocent citizens in the country…yesterday Catholics protest killings, warn anarchy looms – Osinbajo at mass burial, appeals for calm, assures triumph over evil – 492 slain in Benue this year – Ortom – CAN asked Buhari to suspend second term bid, stop anomie first Catholics on Tuesday staged a nationwide protest, calling on the Federal Government to end indiscriminate killings of innocent citizens.
Seen by observers as a sign of mounting discontent over government’s handling of alleged killings by herdsmen and armed bandits, the protest is the first of its kind by the church in Nigeria.
It was planned to coincide with the burial of two Catholic priests and 17 parishioners murdered by gunmen on April 24, at the St. Ignatius Quasi Parish, Mbalom, Gwer East Local Government Area (LGA), Benue State.
Earlier, the Cardinal Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, in a statement, had rallied faithful, saying, “because of the barbaric killing of human beings in Nigeria, and erosion of the perception of life as sacred, and in union with the Diocese of Makurdi, Benue State, we want to express our deepest displeasure over the ugly happenings in our country and pray for the nation.”
The victims were laid to rest at the Sesugh Maria Pilgrimage Centre, Ayati, on the outskirts of Ikpayango, Gwer East LGA, at about 2:45 p.m.
The choice of the site, according to the Bishop of Markurdi Diocese, Most Rev. Wilfred Anagbe, was to honour the deceased as martyrs. “If our places of worship are no longer safe, then where can we run to?” Anagbe asked, expressing hope that the deaths would bring about peace in all parts of the country.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who was accompanied by top politicians and state officials, expressed the Federal Government’s resolve to end similar attacks, vowing the perpetrators of the church killings would be punished.
At the mass burial for the slain victims of the herdsmen attack on the Catholic parish, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo assured Nigerians that the Federal Government would deploy everything in its arsenal to stop the killings in Benue State and other parts of the country.
He conveyed the condolence message of President Muhammadu Buhari, and lamented that attacks on places of worship which started a few years ago, had become one too many.
While condemning the senseless killings, he said the killers only killed the flesh but could never “touch the spirit that belongs to God.”
He said the killers gained nothing other than causing grief to the families, friends and the entire country, wondering what they had to gain by causing pain or anguish.
Osinbajo said though the dead had gone, it behoves the government to provide succour and comfort for those that were left behind.
“We can ensure justice for them by apprehending and punishing the assailants. We must rebuild the many places that have been damaged and heal the wounds that have been caused.
“We must rebuild and revamp our security system of law enforcement to ensure that all that live and work in this land are safe; most importantly, we must and will stop these senseless killings.
“Sometimes evil seems to be winning but as night follows day, this evil will be defeated and good will triumph.
“There’s none, perhaps all of us, who are not angered and outraged by these killings. The bitterness and anguish of the families of the deceased are palpable. We all see it and we all feel it and it is impossible to look around here today and not be deeply saddened by the faces of so many who have lost their loved ones,” he said.
Osinbajo, who was accompanied to the event by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, condoled with the Catholic Church and prayed that God will build His church in the state, saying that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
At the burial, Onaiyekan restated the killings must stop and urged Nigerians to unite and fight the evil trend that has befallen the country.
He warned: “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 to anarchy.”
The Federal Government must be decisive. For if murderers remain unchecked, citizens would be tempted to defend themselves, he said.
The cardinal, however, cautioned against reprisals, urging Christians to be calm and trust in God.
The Tor Tiv, His Royal Majesty, James Ayatse, also enjoined the people to refrain from reprisals, and commended the Catholic Church for restraining its members.
Although he condemned attacks on communities in the state, Governor Samuel Ortom nevertheless commended moves by the Federal Government to stop the crisis.
He disclosed that attacks by herdsmen have claimed the lives of 492 people since the beginning of the year.
“These people were in the church and not on their farms. By this act, they (killers) have moved their narrative to include other motives,” he said.
“We know our killers, but they are not arrested or invited for interrogation. They have stated at several fora that they would reclaim the land,” he said, urging the Federal Government to do more to curb the attacks.
Ortom insisted that the state’s Anti-Open Grazing Law remains the solution to ending clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the country.
He said that the state was conducting a mass burial for the third time this year, adding that 492 people had been killed by herdsmen since the beginning of the year.
Ortom, who again expressed shock at the murder of priests and worshipers in the house of God asked: “What was the offence of the priests and the parishioners? Perhaps the church now grows grass to feed their cattle or the parishioners were in the farms.
“What kind of nation are we, which direction are we heading? We should have a nation where there is freedom of worship. The blood of these priests will not go in vain, their death will mark stability of the nation, and we will not stop crying until justice is achieved. We have an unbroken spirit to adhere to the anti-open grazing law.”
Marches were held in Lagos, Ibadan, Umuahia, Jalingo, Abeokuta, Osogbo, Uyo, and Enugu, among others.
Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to prioritise the security and welfare of citizens and bring the killers to justice.
He led thousands of adherents to Alausa, Ikeja, to meet with Governor Akinwumi Ambode, and deliver a complaints letter for the President.
The Special Assistant (Civic Engagement) Mr. Adeyemi Onabinjo and Special Adviser (Religious Matters) Rev. Dr. Verralls Kolawole received the marchers on behalf of the governor.
The letter reads in part: “Mr. President, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) in its most recent letter to you (Buhari) posed some very strong questions – ‘How can the Federal Government stand back while its security agencies deliberately turn a blind eye to the cries and wails of helpless and defenseless citizens who remain sitting ducks in their homes, farms, highways, and now in their sacred places of worship?’
“Weeks later, we are still waiting for answers to these questions. Left defenceless, ordinary Nigerians get killed while politicians and privileged ones go about with security details.
“Mr. President, justice cries out for all innocent Nigerians who have died in the hands of gun-totting herdsmen. The time has come for you to act fast and put to rest all the insinuations being pandered all over about you.”
In the Federal Capital Territory, protesters led by Auxiliary Bishop of Abuja, Most Rev. Anselm Umoren, marched from the National Christian Centre to Area 3 Pro Cathedral, chanting protest songs. They also bore placards with inscriptions that included ‘Stop These Killings’, ‘Enough Is Enough’, and ‘The Killers Must Be Arrested’.
“Mr. President, we wish to remind you that rampaging squads of terrorist herdsmen who have turned Nigeria into a killing field seem to be above the law, because we are yet to hear of any arrest and prosecution of these murderers who have continued to amuse themselves with the blood of innocent Nigerians,” said Umoren.
After the procession, the Director of Communications, Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Rev. Fr. Patrick Alumuku, said the church has discovered Christians are now the target of the herdsmen.
“We don’t know if government is listening. But we hope that government listens. A government that does not listen ends up where it is heading, because the government is obviously heading in a wrong direction,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has supported the Catholic Church and the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) over the conduct of the mass burial for the two priests and 17 parishioners killed by herdsmen in Benue State, as well as the nationwide protest that the church staged on Tuesday.
The association also called on President Buhari to halt his planned second term bid, as it was not in the overall interest of the nation.
CAN president, Reverend Sampson Supo Ayokunle, said this is a trying time for the church in the country and urged all Christians to identify with the Catholic Church in its nationwide peaceful protest against the senseless killings in the country.
Ayokunle expressed dismay that the killing of innocent citizens had become a global embarrassment with mass burials being carried out repeatedly in a country that is not at war.
His words: “Buhari’s government should not fold its arms and watch misguided Nigerians, mostly Boko Haram and herdsmen, promote killing as a pastime in the name of politics and ethnicity while solution appears very elusive.
“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.”
On Buhari’s presidential ambition, Ayokunle explained that while CAN is not opposed to the President’s right to seek re-election for the second time, “we urge him to halt it in the meantime and attend to the security problems occasioned by the criminal activities of the terrorists, herdsmen and bandits”.
“CAN asks President Buhari to suspend his re-election bid until he restores sanity 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.
“Buhari’s ongoing campaign for re-election without plans to stop the state of anomie in Nigeria is scary.
“CAN prays 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,” he said.
Speaking on the current status of Jerusalem, the CAN president once again congratulated the Israeli government on the relocation of the capital to Jerusalem and on the 70th anniversary of the country.
“Unarguably, the relocation is the special anniversary present from the God of the patriarchs. We appreciate the leadership role of the United States in the landmark historic event.
“We are happy that countries such as the United States of America, Guatemala, Honduras, Romania and Paraguay have relocated their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
“The declaration made by President Donald Trump on December 6, 2017, was a fulfilment of the Biblical prophecy and it is our prayer that other countries including Nigeria will relocate their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
“At a press conference addressed by our late General Secretary, Rev. Musa Asake, on January 16, 2018, we condemned in strong terms the position of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government that voted against the position of the U.S. on the historic decision.
“We declared that the Christian Association of Nigeria was compelled once again, to draw the attention of the Buhari administration to the non-aligned status of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in international conflicts.
“We have had cause to express great apprehension when in December 2015, President Buhari, without giving consideration to Section 10 of the Constitution, as well as to the sensitivity of Christians that constitute over 50 per cent of the Nigerian population, led Nigeria to join the Saudi Arabia initiated Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC).
“Since then, there have been other disturbing actions of the president internally, that border on the adoption of Islam as a state religion in a secular state.
“These include the promotion of Sharia-compliant finance, using state resources, violation of the federal character principle in the Constitution by appointing mostly Muslims to head security units in the nation, and the inability of the government to arrest and prosecute rampaging Islamic militias, amongst others.
“Recently, Mr. President once again dragged Nigeria to interfere in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by voting against the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel at the United Nations. The non-aligned status of Nigeria demands that Nigeria should have abstained from voting, either for or against, when the issue came up at the UN.
“The Christian Association of Nigeria is placing on record that the negative vote of Nigeria over Jerusalem was not the consensus of the citizens of this country,” he said. Catholics protest killings, warn anarchy looms – Osinbajo at mass burial, appeals for calm, assures triumph over evil – 492 slain in Benue this year – Ortom – CAN asked Buhari to suspend second term bid, stop anomie first Catholics on Tuesday staged a nationwide protest, calling on the Federal Government to end indiscriminate killings of innocent citizens.
Seen by observers as a sign of mounting discontent over government’s handling of alleged killings by herdsmen and armed bandits, the protest is the first of its kind by the church in Nigeria.
It was planned to coincide with the burial of two Catholic priests and 17 parishioners murdered by gunmen on April 24, at the St. Ignatius Quasi Parish, Mbalom, Gwer East Local Government Area (LGA), Benue State.
Earlier, the Cardinal Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, in a statement, had rallied faithful, saying, “because of the barbaric killing of human beings in Nigeria, and erosion of the perception of life as sacred, and in union with the Diocese of Makurdi, Benue State, we want to express our deepest displeasure over the ugly happenings in our country and pray for the nation.”
The victims were laid to rest at the Sesugh Maria Pilgrimage Centre, Ayati, on the outskirts of Ikpayango, Gwer East LGA, at about 2:45 p.m.
The choice of the site, according to the Bishop of Markurdi Diocese, Most Rev. Wilfred Anagbe, was to honour the deceased as martyrs. “If our places of worship are no longer safe, then where can we run to?” Anagbe asked, expressing hope that the deaths would bring about peace in all parts of the country.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who was accompanied by top politicians and state officials, expressed the Federal Government’s resolve to end similar attacks, vowing the perpetrators of the church killings would be punished.
At the mass burial for the slain victims of the herdsmen attack on the Catholic parish, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo assured Nigerians that the Federal Government would deploy everything in its arsenal to stop the killings in Benue State and other parts of the country.
He conveyed the condolence message of President Muhammadu Buhari, and lamented that attacks on places of worship which started a few years ago, had become one too many.
While condemning the senseless killings, he said the killers only killed the flesh but could never “touch the spirit that belongs to God.”
He said the killers gained nothing other than causing grief to the families, friends and the entire country, wondering what they had to gain by causing pain or anguish.
Osinbajo said though the dead had gone, it behoves the government to provide succour and comfort for those that were left behind.
“We can ensure justice for them by apprehending and punishing the assailants. We must rebuild the many places that have been damaged and heal the wounds that have been caused.
“We must rebuild and revamp our security system of law enforcement to ensure that all that live and work in this land are safe; most importantly, we must and will stop these senseless killings.
“Sometimes evil seems to be winning but as night follows day, this evil will be defeated and good will triumph.
“There’s none, perhaps all of us, who are not angered and outraged by these killings. The bitterness and anguish of the families of the deceased are palpable. We all see it and we all feel it and it is impossible to look around here today and not be deeply saddened by the faces of so many who have lost their loved ones,” he said.
Osinbajo, who was accompanied to the event by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, condoled with the Catholic Church and prayed that God will build His church in the state, saying that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
At the burial, Onaiyekan restated the killings must stop and urged Nigerians to unite and fight the evil trend that has befallen the country.
He warned: “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 to anarchy.”
The Federal Government must be decisive. For if murderers remain unchecked, citizens would be tempted to defend themselves, he said.
The cardinal, however, cautioned against reprisals, urging Christians to be calm and trust in God.
The Tor Tiv, His Royal Majesty, James Ayatse, also enjoined the people to refrain from reprisals, and commended the Catholic Church for restraining its members.
Although he condemned attacks on communities in the state, Governor Samuel Ortom nevertheless commended moves by the Federal Government to stop the crisis.
He disclosed that attacks by herdsmen have claimed the lives of 492 people since the beginning of the year.
“These people were in the church and not on their farms. By this act, they (killers) have moved their narrative to include other motives,” he said.
“We know our killers, but they are not arrested or invited for interrogation. They have stated at several fora that they would reclaim the land,” he said, urging the Federal Government to do more to curb the attacks.
Ortom insisted that the state’s Anti-Open Grazing Law remains the solution to ending clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the country.
He said that the state was conducting a mass burial for the third time this year, adding that 492 people had been killed by herdsmen since the beginning of the year.
Ortom, who again expressed shock at the murder of priests and worshipers in the house of God asked: “What was the offence of the priests and the parishioners? Perhaps the church now grows grass to feed their cattle or the parishioners were in the farms.
“What kind of nation are we, which direction are we heading? We should have a nation where there is freedom of worship. The blood of these priests will not go in vain, their death will mark stability of the nation, and we will not stop crying until justice is achieved. We have an unbroken spirit to adhere to the anti-open grazing law.”
Marches were held in Lagos, Ibadan, Umuahia, Jalingo, Abeokuta, Osogbo, Uyo, and Enugu, among others.
Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to prioritise the security and welfare of citizens and bring the killers to justice.
He led thousands of adherents to Alausa, Ikeja, to meet with Governor Akinwumi Ambode, and deliver a complaints letter for the President.
The Special Assistant (Civic Engagement) Mr. Adeyemi Onabinjo and Special Adviser (Religious Matters) Rev. Dr. Verralls Kolawole received the marchers on behalf of the governor.
The letter reads in part: “Mr. President, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) in its most recent letter to you (Buhari) posed some very strong questions – ‘How can the Federal Government stand back while its security agencies deliberately turn a blind eye to the cries and wails of helpless and defenseless citizens who remain sitting ducks in their homes, farms, highways, and now in their sacred places of worship?’
“Weeks later, we are still waiting for answers to these questions. Left defenceless, ordinary Nigerians get killed while politicians and privileged ones go about with security details.
“Mr. President, justice cries out for all innocent Nigerians who have died in the hands of gun-totting herdsmen. The time has come for you to act fast and put to rest all the insinuations being pandered all over about you.”
In the Federal Capital Territory, protesters led by Auxiliary Bishop of Abuja, Most Rev. Anselm Umoren, marched from the National Christian Centre to Area 3 Pro Cathedral, chanting protest songs. They also bore placards with inscriptions that included ‘Stop These Killings’, ‘Enough Is Enough’, and ‘The Killers Must Be Arrested’.
“Mr. President, we wish to remind you that rampaging squads of terrorist herdsmen who have turned Nigeria into a killing field seem to be above the law, because we are yet to hear of any arrest and prosecution of these murderers who have continued to amuse themselves with the blood of innocent Nigerians,” said Umoren.
After the procession, the Director of Communications, Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Rev. Fr. Patrick Alumuku, said the church has discovered Christians are now the target of the herdsmen.
“We don’t know if government is listening. But we hope that government listens. A government that does not listen ends up where it is heading, because the government is obviously heading in a wrong direction,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has supported the Catholic Church and the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) over the conduct of the mass burial for the two priests and 17 parishioners killed by herdsmen in Benue State, as well as the nationwide protest that the church staged on Tuesday.
The association also called on President Buhari to halt his planned second term bid, as it was not in the overall interest of the nation.
CAN president, Reverend Sampson Supo Ayokunle, said this is a trying time for the church in the country and urged all Christians to identify with the Catholic Church in its nationwide peaceful protest against the senseless killings in the country.
Ayokunle expressed dismay that the killing of innocent citizens had become a global embarrassment with mass burials being carried out repeatedly in a country that is not at war.
His words: “Buhari’s government should not fold its arms and watch misguided Nigerians, mostly Boko Haram and herdsmen, promote killing as a pastime in the name of politics and ethnicity while solution appears very elusive.
“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.”
On Buhari’s presidential ambition, Ayokunle explained that while CAN is not opposed to the President’s right to seek re-election for the second time, “we urge him to halt it in the meantime and attend to the security problems occasioned by the criminal activities of the terrorists, herdsmen and bandits”.
“CAN asks President Buhari to suspend his re-election bid until he restores sanity 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.
“Buhari’s ongoing campaign for re-election without plans to stop the state of anomie in Nigeria is scary.
“CAN prays 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,” he said.
Speaking on the current status of Jerusalem, the CAN president once again congratulated the Israeli government on the relocation of the capital to Jerusalem and on the 70th anniversary of the country.
“Unarguably, the relocation is the special anniversary present from the God of the patriarchs. We appreciate the leadership role of the United States in the landmark historic event.
“We are happy that countries such as the United States of America, Guatemala, Honduras, Romania and Paraguay have relocated their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
“The declaration made by President Donald Trump on December 6, 2017, was a fulfilment of the Biblical prophecy and it is our prayer that other countries including Nigeria will relocate their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
“At a press conference addressed by our late General Secretary, Rev. Musa Asake, on January 16, 2018, we condemned in strong terms the position of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government that voted against the position of the U.S. on the historic decision.
“We declared that the Christian Association of Nigeria was compelled once again, to draw the attention of the Buhari administration to the non-aligned status of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in international conflicts.
“We have had cause to express great apprehension when in December 2015, President Buhari, without giving consideration to Section 10 of the Constitution, as well as to the sensitivity of Christians that constitute over 50 per cent of the Nigerian population, led Nigeria to join the Saudi Arabia initiated Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC).
“Since then, there have been other disturbing actions of the president internally, that border on the adoption of Islam as a state religion in a secular state.
“These include the promotion of Sharia-compliant finance, using state resources, violation of the federal character principle in the Constitution by appointing mostly Muslims to head security units in the nation, and the inability of the government to arrest and prosecute rampaging Islamic militias, amongst others.
“Recently, Mr. President once again dragged Nigeria to interfere in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by voting against the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel at the United Nations. The non-aligned status of Nigeria demands that Nigeria should have abstained from voting, either for or against, when the issue came up at the UN.
“The Christian Association of Nigeria is placing on record that the negative vote of Nigeria over Jerusalem was not the consensus of the citizens of this country,” he said. – Caption: Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Dr. Alfred Adewale Martins (middle) and other Catholic faithful protesting against the killings of innocent citizens in the country…yesterday Catholics protest killings, warn anarchy looms – Osinbajo at mass burial, appeals for calm, assures triumph over evil – 492 slain in Benue this year – Ortom – CAN asked Buhari to suspend second term bid, stop anomie first Catholics on Tuesday staged a nationwide protest, calling on the Federal Government to end indiscriminate killings of innocent citizens.
Seen by observers as a sign of mounting discontent over government’s handling of alleged killings by herdsmen and armed bandits, the protest is the first of its kind by the church in Nigeria.
It was planned to coincide with the burial of two Catholic priests and 17 parishioners murdered by gunmen on April 24, at the St. Ignatius Quasi Parish, Mbalom, Gwer East Local Government Area (LGA), Benue State.
Earlier, the Cardinal Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, in a statement, had rallied faithful, saying, “because of the barbaric killing of human beings in Nigeria, and erosion of the perception of life as sacred, and in union with the Diocese of Makurdi, Benue State, we want to express our deepest displeasure over the ugly happenings in our country and pray for the nation.”
The victims were laid to rest at the Sesugh Maria Pilgrimage Centre, Ayati, on the outskirts of Ikpayango, Gwer East LGA, at about 2:45 p.m.
The choice of the site, according to the Bishop of Markurdi Diocese, Most Rev. Wilfred Anagbe, was to honour the deceased as martyrs. “If our places of worship are no longer safe, then where can we run to?” Anagbe asked, expressing hope that the deaths would bring about peace in all parts of the country.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who was accompanied by top politicians and state officials, expressed the Federal Government’s resolve to end similar attacks, vowing the perpetrators of the church killings would be punished.
At the mass burial for the slain victims of the herdsmen attack on the Catholic parish, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo assured Nigerians that the Federal Government would deploy everything in its arsenal to stop the killings in Benue State and other parts of the country.
He conveyed the condolence message of President Muhammadu Buhari, and lamented that attacks on places of worship which started a few years ago, had become one too many.
While condemning the senseless killings, he said the killers only killed the flesh but could never “touch the spirit that belongs to God.”
He said the killers gained nothing other than causing grief to the families, friends and the entire country, wondering what they had to gain by causing pain or anguish.
Osinbajo said though the dead had gone, it behoves the government to provide succour and comfort for those that were left behind.
“We can ensure justice for them by apprehending and punishing the assailants. We must rebuild the many places that have been damaged and heal the wounds that have been caused.
“We must rebuild and revamp our security system of law enforcement to ensure that all that live and work in this land are safe; most importantly, we must and will stop these senseless killings.
“Sometimes evil seems to be winning but as night follows day, this evil will be defeated and good will triumph.
“There’s none, perhaps all of us, who are not angered and outraged by these killings. The bitterness and anguish of the families of the deceased are palpable. We all see it and we all feel it and it is impossible to look around here today and not be deeply saddened by the faces of so many who have lost their loved ones,” he said.
Osinbajo, who was accompanied to the event by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, condoled with the Catholic Church and prayed that God will build His church in the state, saying that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
At the burial, Onaiyekan restated the killings must stop and urged Nigerians to unite and fight the evil trend that has befallen the country.
He warned: “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 to anarchy.”
The Federal Government must be decisive. For if murderers remain unchecked, citizens would be tempted to defend themselves, he said.
The cardinal, however, cautioned against reprisals, urging Christians to be calm and trust in God.
The Tor Tiv, His Royal Majesty, James Ayatse, also enjoined the people to refrain from reprisals, and commended the Catholic Church for restraining its members.
Although he condemned attacks on communities in the state, Governor Samuel Ortom nevertheless commended moves by the Federal Government to stop the crisis.
He disclosed that attacks by herdsmen have claimed the lives of 492 people since the beginning of the year.
“These people were in the church and not on their farms. By this act, they (killers) have moved their narrative to include other motives,” he said.
“We know our killers, but they are not arrested or invited for interrogation. They have stated at several fora that they would reclaim the land,” he said, urging the Federal Government to do more to curb the attacks.
Ortom insisted that the state’s Anti-Open Grazing Law remains the solution to ending clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the country.
He said that the state was conducting a mass burial for the third time this year, adding that 492 people had been killed by herdsmen since the beginning of the year.
Ortom, who again expressed shock at the murder of priests and worshipers in the house of God asked: “What was the offence of the priests and the parishioners? Perhaps the church now grows grass to feed their cattle or the parishioners were in the farms.
“What kind of nation are we, which direction are we heading? We should have a nation where there is freedom of worship. The blood of these priests will not go in vain, their death will mark stability of the nation, and we will not stop crying until justice is achieved. We have an unbroken spirit to adhere to the anti-open grazing law.”
Marches were held in Lagos, Ibadan, Umuahia, Jalingo, Abeokuta, Osogbo, Uyo, and Enugu, among others.
Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to prioritise the security and welfare of citizens and bring the killers to justice.
He led thousands of adherents to Alausa, Ikeja, to meet with Governor Akinwumi Ambode, and deliver a complaints letter for the President.
The Special Assistant (Civic Engagement) Mr. Adeyemi Onabinjo and Special Adviser (Religious Matters) Rev. Dr. Verralls Kolawole received the marchers on behalf of the governor.
The letter reads in part: “Mr. President, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) in its most recent letter to you (Buhari) posed some very strong questions – ‘How can the Federal Government stand back while its security agencies deliberately turn a blind eye to the cries and wails of helpless and defenseless citizens who remain sitting ducks in their homes, farms, highways, and now in their sacred places of worship?’
“Weeks later, we are still waiting for answers to these questions. Left defenceless, ordinary Nigerians get killed while politicians and privileged ones go about with security details.
“Mr. President, justice cries out for all innocent Nigerians who have died in the hands of gun-totting herdsmen. The time has come for you to act fast and put to rest all the insinuations being pandered all over about you.”
In the Federal Capital Territory, protesters led by Auxiliary Bishop of Abuja, Most Rev. Anselm Umoren, marched from the National Christian Centre to Area 3 Pro Cathedral, chanting protest songs. They also bore placards with inscriptions that included ‘Stop These Killings’, ‘Enough Is Enough’, and ‘The Killers Must Be Arrested’.
“Mr. President, we wish to remind you that rampaging squads of terrorist herdsmen who have turned Nigeria into a killing field seem to be above the law, because we are yet to hear of any arrest and prosecution of these murderers who have continued to amuse themselves with the blood of innocent Nigerians,” said Umoren.
After the procession, the Director of Communications, Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Rev. Fr. Patrick Alumuku, said the church has discovered Christians are now the target of the herdsmen.
“We don’t know if government is listening. But we hope that government listens. A government that does not listen ends up where it is heading, because the government is obviously heading in a wrong direction,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has supported the Catholic Church and the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) over the conduct of the mass burial for the two priests and 17 parishioners killed by herdsmen in Benue State, as well as the nationwide protest that the church staged on Tuesday.
The association also called on President Buhari to halt his planned second term bid, as it was not in the overall interest of the nation.
CAN president, Reverend Sampson Supo Ayokunle, said this is a trying time for the church in the country and urged all Christians to identify with the Catholic Church in its nationwide peaceful protest against the senseless killings in the country.
Ayokunle expressed dismay that the killing of innocent citizens had become a global embarrassment with mass burials being carried out repeatedly in a country that is not at war.
His words: “Buhari’s government should not fold its arms and watch misguided Nigerians, mostly Boko Haram and herdsmen, promote killing as a pastime in the name of politics and ethnicity while solution appears very elusive.
“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.”
On Buhari’s presidential ambition, Ayokunle explained that while CAN is not opposed to the President’s right to seek re-election for the second time, “we urge him to halt it in the meantime and attend to the security problems occasioned by the criminal activities of the terrorists, herdsmen and bandits”.
“CAN asks President Buhari to suspend his re-election bid until he restores sanity 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.
“Buhari’s ongoing campaign for re-election without plans to stop the state of anomie in Nigeria is scary.
“CAN prays 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,” he said.
Speaking on the current status of Jerusalem, the CAN president once again congratulated the Israeli government on the relocation of the capital to Jerusalem and on the 70th anniversary of the country.
“Unarguably, the relocation is the special anniversary present from the God of the patriarchs. We appreciate the leadership role of the United States in the landmark historic event.
“We are happy that countries such as the United States of America, Guatemala, Honduras, Romania and Paraguay have relocated their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
“The declaration made by President Donald Trump on December 6, 2017, was a fulfilment of the Biblical prophecy and it is our prayer that other countries including Nigeria will relocate their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
“At a press conference addressed by our late General Secretary, Rev. Musa Asake, on January 16, 2018, we condemned in strong terms the position of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government that voted against the position of the U.S. on the historic decision.
“We declared that the Christian Association of Nigeria was compelled once again, to draw the attention of the Buhari administration to the non-aligned status of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in international conflicts.
“We have had cause to express great apprehension when in December 2015, President Buhari, without giving consideration to Section 10 of the Constitution, as well as to the sensitivity of Christians that constitute over 50 per cent of the Nigerian population, led Nigeria to join the Saudi Arabia initiated Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC).
“Since then, there have been other disturbing actions of the president internally, that border on the adoption of Islam as a state religion in a secular state.
“These include the promotion of Sharia-compliant finance, using state resources, violation of the federal character principle in the Constitution by appointing mostly Muslims to head security units in the nation, and the inability of the government to arrest and prosecute rampaging Islamic militias, amongst others.
“Recently, Mr. President once again dragged Nigeria to interfere in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by voting against the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel at the United Nations. The non-aligned status of Nigeria demands that Nigeria should have abstained from voting, either for or against, when the issue came up at the UN.
“The Christian Association of Nigeria is placing on record that the negative vote of Nigeria over Jerusalem was not the consensus of the citizens of this country,” he said. – Caption: Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Dr. Alfred Adewale Martins (middle) and other Catholic faithful protesting against the killings of innocent citizens in the country…yesterday Catholics protest killings, warn anarchy looms – Osinbajo at mass burial, appeals for calm, assures triumph over evil – 492 slain in Benue this year – Ortom – CAN asked Buhari to suspend second term bid, stop anomie first Catholics on Tuesday staged a nationwide protest, calling on the Federal Government to end indiscriminate killings of innocent citizens.
Seen by observers as a sign of mounting discontent over government’s handling of alleged killings by herdsmen and armed bandits, the protest is the first of its kind by the church in Nigeria.
It was planned to coincide with the burial of two Catholic priests and 17 parishioners murdered by gunmen on April 24, at the St. Ignatius Quasi Parish, Mbalom, Gwer East Local Government Area (LGA), Benue State.
Earlier, the Cardinal Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, in a statement, had rallied faithful, saying, “because of the barbaric killing of human beings in Nigeria, and erosion of the perception of life as sacred, and in union with the Diocese of Makurdi, Benue State, we want to express our deepest displeasure over the ugly happenings in our country and pray for the nation.”
The victims were laid to rest at the Sesugh Maria Pilgrimage Centre, Ayati, on the outskirts of Ikpayango, Gwer East LGA, at about 2:45 p.m.
The choice of the site, according to the Bishop of Markurdi Diocese, Most Rev. Wilfred Anagbe, was to honour the deceased as martyrs. “If our places of worship are no longer safe, then where can we run to?” Anagbe asked, expressing hope that the deaths would bring about peace in all parts of the country.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who was accompanied by top politicians and state officials, expressed the Federal Government’s resolve to end similar attacks, vowing the perpetrators of the church killings would be punished.
At the mass burial for the slain victims of the herdsmen attack on the Catholic parish, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo assured Nigerians that the Federal Government would deploy everything in its arsenal to stop the killings in Benue State and other parts of the country.
He conveyed the condolence message of President Muhammadu Buhari, and lamented that attacks on places of worship which started a few years ago, had become one too many.
While condemning the senseless killings, he said the killers only killed the flesh but could never “touch the spirit that belongs to God.”
He said the killers gained nothing other than causing grief to the families, friends and the entire country, wondering what they had to gain by causing pain or anguish.
Osinbajo said though the dead had gone, it behoves the government to provide succour and comfort for those that were left behind.
“We can ensure justice for them by apprehending and punishing the assailants. We must rebuild the many places that have been damaged and heal the wounds that have been caused.
“We must rebuild and revamp our security system of law enforcement to ensure that all that live and work in this land are safe; most importantly, we must and will stop these senseless killings.
“Sometimes evil seems to be winning but as night follows day, this evil will be defeated and good will triumph.
“There’s none, perhaps all of us, who are not angered and outraged by these killings. The bitterness and anguish of the families of the deceased are palpable. We all see it and we all feel it and it is impossible to look around here today and not be deeply saddened by the faces of so many who have lost their loved ones,” he said.
Osinbajo, who was accompanied to the event by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, condoled with the Catholic Church and prayed that God will build His church in the state, saying that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
At the burial, Onaiyekan restated the killings must stop and urged Nigerians to unite and fight the evil trend that has befallen the country.
He warned: “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 to anarchy.”
The Federal Government must be decisive. For if murderers remain unchecked, citizens would be tempted to defend themselves, he said.
The cardinal, however, cautioned against reprisals, urging Christians to be calm and trust in God.
The Tor Tiv, His Royal Majesty, James Ayatse, also enjoined the people to refrain from reprisals, and commended the Catholic Church for restraining its members.
Although he condemned attacks on communities in the state, Governor Samuel Ortom nevertheless commended moves by the Federal Government to stop the crisis.
He disclosed that attacks by herdsmen have claimed the lives of 492 people since the beginning of the year.
“These people were in the church and not on their farms. By this act, they (killers) have moved their narrative to include other motives,” he said.
“We know our killers, but they are not arrested or invited for interrogation. They have stated at several fora that they would reclaim the land,” he said, urging the Federal Government to do more to curb the attacks.
Ortom insisted that the state’s Anti-Open Grazing Law remains the solution to ending clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the country.
He said that the state was conducting a mass burial for the third time this year, adding that 492 people had been killed by herdsmen since the beginning of the year.
Ortom, who again expressed shock at the murder of priests and worshipers in the house of God asked: “What was the offence of the priests and the parishioners? Perhaps the church now grows grass to feed their cattle or the parishioners were in the farms.
“What kind of nation are we, which direction are we heading? We should have a nation where there is freedom of worship. The blood of these priests will not go in vain, their death will mark stability of the nation, and we will not stop crying until justice is achieved. We have an unbroken spirit to adhere to the anti-open grazing law.”
Marches were held in Lagos, Ibadan, Umuahia, Jalingo, Abeokuta, Osogbo, Uyo, and Enugu, among others.
Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to prioritise the security and welfare of citizens and bring the killers to justice.
He led thousands of adherents to Alausa, Ikeja, to meet with Governor Akinwumi Ambode, and deliver a complaints letter for the President.
The Special Assistant (Civic Engagement) Mr. Adeyemi Onabinjo and Special Adviser (Religious Matters) Rev. Dr. Verralls Kolawole received the marchers on behalf of the governor.
The letter reads in part: “Mr. President, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) in its most recent letter to you (Buhari) posed some very strong questions – ‘How can the Federal Government stand back while its security agencies deliberately turn a blind eye to the cries and wails of helpless and defenseless citizens who remain sitting ducks in their homes, farms, highways, and now in their sacred places of worship?’
“Weeks later, we are still waiting for answers to these questions. Left defenceless, ordinary Nigerians get killed while politicians and privileged ones go about with security details.
“Mr. President, justice cries out for all innocent Nigerians who have died in the hands of gun-totting herdsmen. The time has come for you to act fast and put to rest all the insinuations being pandered all over about you.”
In the Federal Capital Territory, protesters led by Auxiliary Bishop of Abuja, Most Rev. Anselm Umoren, marched from the National Christian Centre to Area 3 Pro Cathedral, chanting protest songs. They also bore placards with inscriptions that included ‘Stop These Killings’, ‘Enough Is Enough’, and ‘The Killers Must Be Arrested’.
“Mr. President, we wish to remind you that rampaging squads of terrorist herdsmen who have turned Nigeria into a killing field seem to be above the law, because we are yet to hear of any arrest and prosecution of these murderers who have continued to amuse themselves with the blood of innocent Nigerians,” said Umoren.
After the procession, the Director of Communications, Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Rev. Fr. Patrick Alumuku, said the church has discovered Christians are now the target of the herdsmen.
“We don’t know if government is listening. But we hope that government listens. A government that does not listen ends up where it is heading, because the government is obviously heading in a wrong direction,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, has supported the Catholic Church and the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) over the conduct of the mass burial for the two priests and 17 parishioners killed by herdsmen in Benue State, as well as the nationwide protest that the church staged on Tuesday.
The association also called on President Buhari to halt his planned second term bid, as it was not in the overall interest of the nation.
CAN president, Reverend Sampson Supo Ayokunle, said this is a trying time for the church in the country and urged all Christians to identify with the Catholic Church in its nationwide peaceful protest against the senseless killings in the country.
Ayokunle expressed dismay that the killing of innocent citizens had become a global embarrassment with mass burials being carried out repeatedly in a country that is not at war.
His words: “Buhari’s government should not fold its arms and watch misguided Nigerians, mostly Boko Haram and herdsmen, promote killing as a pastime in the name of politics and ethnicity while solution appears very elusive.
“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.”
On Buhari’s presidential ambition, Ayokunle explained that while CAN is not opposed to the President’s right to seek re-election for the second time, “we urge him to halt it in the meantime and attend to the security problems occasioned by the criminal activities of the terrorists, herdsmen and bandits”.
“CAN asks President Buhari to suspend his re-election bid until he restores sanity 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.
“Buhari’s ongoing campaign for re-election without plans to stop the state of anomie in Nigeria is scary.
“CAN prays 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,” he said.
Speaking on the current status of Jerusalem, the CAN president once again congratulated the Israeli government on the relocation of the capital to Jerusalem and on the 70th anniversary of the country.
“Unarguably, the relocation is the special anniversary present from the God of the patriarchs. We appreciate the leadership role of the United States in the landmark historic event.
“We are happy that countries such as the United States of America, Guatemala, Honduras, Romania and Paraguay have relocated their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
“The declaration made by President Donald Trump on December 6, 2017, was a fulfilment of the Biblical prophecy and it is our prayer that other countries including Nigeria will relocate their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
“At a press conference addressed by our late General Secretary, Rev. Musa Asake, on January 16, 2018, we condemned in strong terms the position of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government that voted against the position of the U.S. on the historic decision.
“We declared that the Christian Association of Nigeria was compelled once again, to draw the attention of the Buhari administration to the non-aligned status of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in international conflicts.
“We have had cause to express great apprehension when in December 2015, President Buhari, without giving consideration to Section 10 of the Constitution, as well as to the sensitivity of Christians that constitute over 50 per cent of the Nigerian population, led Nigeria to join the Saudi Arabia initiated Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC).
“Since then, there have been other disturbing actions of the president internally, that border on the adoption of Islam as a state religion in a secular state.
“These include the promotion of Sharia-compliant finance, using state resources, violation of the federal character principle in the Constitution by appointing mostly Muslims to head security units in the nation, and the inability of the government to arrest and prosecute rampaging Islamic militias, amongst others.
“Recently, Mr. President once again dragged Nigeria to interfere in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by voting against the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel at the United Nations. The non-aligned status of Nigeria demands that Nigeria should have abstained from voting, either for or against, when the issue came up at the UN.
“The Christian Association of Nigeria is placing on record that the negative vote of Nigeria over Jerusalem was not the consensus of the citizens of this country,” he said.
,br> – Caption: Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Dr. Alfred Adewale Martins (middle) and other Catholic faithful protesting against the killings of innocent citizens in the country … on Tuesday
Catholics protest killings, warn anarchy looms
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