Catholic Bishops in Nigeria have called on the government to protect the lives and property of its people, as militants intensified their killing spree across the country.
In a statement ‘‘While Nigeria bleeds and burns’’ and signed notably by the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Most Rev Ignatius Ayau Kaigama, the Bishops urged the authorities to carry out their ‘‘primary duty’’ to protect the life of every Nigerian, irrespective of tribe, religion, social class or tradition.
“As Nigeria tragically bleeds and burns, we Bishops are really alarmed at the scale of human and material destruction, and the disruption of village and community life with increased levels of hatred and potentials for more conflicts in the nation. While Muslims are sometimes targets of these de-structive attacks, Christians, Churches and non- Muslims in general are the principal targets for extermination, expropriation and expulsion by the Boko Haram insurgents, the perpetrators of all these destructions’’.
The Bishops accuse the government of not doing enough to stop violence and killings.
“In the face of this Boko Haram group and other criminal militias arming themselves beyond our legitimate government, and brazenly killing innocent, defenseless citizens, our government must do more than it is currently doing to safeguard our lives and defend our nation.
Source: BCCN