Nigeria has experienced several militant attacks in the last several months including kidnappings and murder that seem to target Christians.
In January, 18-year-old seminarian, Michael Nnadi, who had been kidnapped alongside three other seminarians from their Good Shepherd Major Seminary in Kaduna State was murdered.
At a recent Mass aimed at seeking God’s intervention following killings in Southern Kaduna within Kaduna State, Fr. Benjamin Yakubu Bala described the situation in the State as a “large scale of genocide” and called on the Federal Government to embrace a “grassroots approach in handling” insecurity in the affected regions of the country.
In their August 8 statement, the members of CBCN decry the “increasing insecurity and unabated acts of terrorism in Northern Nigeria” and call on the Federal and Kaduna State governments to “bring a complete stop to the killing of innocent people” in Southern Kaduna.
“We are all tired of this situation,” the Bishops say, adding, “Our hearts are bleeding, and we are more troubled when we hear of the massacre presently going on in Southern Kaduna.”
They further call on relevant authorities to ensure that “the perpetrators of the killings (are) brought to justice."
“Where there is no justice or justice is not seen to be done, there cannot be peace. Where there is no peace, there cannot be development,” CBCN members say and continue, “Any Government, State or Federal that wants peace must work for justice for everyone.”
“There will never be sustained development built upon the bloodshed of innocent people brutally murdered by religious fundamentalists without any recourse to justice for the victims,” they add and addressing themselves to politicians, the Church leaders say, “We do not want any politician to politicize the killing of Nigerians."
They underscore the urgent need to stop “the killings” saying, “The loss of the life of any Nigerian does not help to further the agenda of any religious ideology or the ambition of any politician.”
The Bishops further recall the campaign promises of the current government saying, “The present Federal Government came to power, promising Nigerians the eradication of corruption, a guarantee of security to life and property, and rapid growth in the economy, the creation of jobs, and an enabling environment that engenders growth of the private sector.”
