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Bishops condemn deadly terror attacks in Nigeria

Bandits' 'brutal acts of barbarism' bring call for urgent action by the government
Bishops condemn deadly terror attacks in Nigeria

Archbishop-elect Lucius Ugorji of Owerri has condemned recent terror attacks. (Photo: Daily Post Nigeria)

Published: April 07, 2022 07:44 AM GMT
Updated: April 07, 2022 08:19 AM GMT

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has condemned the wanton destruction of lives and livelihoods while urging the government to take action against terrorists.

The call followed recent deadly attacks on a passenger train and an airport by bandits.

Archbishop-elect Lucius Ugorji of Owerri, the CBCN president, issued an April 4 press statement decrying the attacks.

“We unequivocally condemn those brutal acts of barbarism and brazen assault on our sovereign dignity as a nation,” the statement said.

“At this moment of nationwide sadness and sorrow. the Catholic bishops of Nigeria stand together in solidarity with the bereaved, the wounded and those still missing.

“Our country has long teetered on the precipice of a failed state. The government should, therefore, stop trying to play the ostrich as the nation profusely bleeds and take urgent steps to unmask these marauding terrorists and their sponsors without further delay.”

“As a dark cloud of uncertainty seems to be hanging over our nation, many Nigerians are strongly tempted to succumb to feelings of cynicism or despondency"

On March 28, gunmen blew up a section of railway track as a train traveled between Abuja and Kaduna. Of the 362 registered passengers on board the train, the BBC has reported that eight died and 168 are still missing. It is not clear how many have been kidnapped for ransom.

One of those who died was Dr. Megafu Nwando Chinelo, a dental surgeon at St. Gerard’s Catholic Hospital Kaduna who was due to move abroad. 

A few days earlier, more than 200 terrorists on motorbikes brazenly rode through the runway of Kaduna International Airport in broad daylight, disrupting operations and killing at least one security guard. Troops reportedly killed 12 terrorists.

In the bishops’ statement, Bishop Ugorji sympathized with Nigerian citizens “who languish for hours in long queues at gas stations to buy fuel at exorbitant prices” and others who face “severe hardship surrounding them at every turn” as well as countrymen and women who seemed “condemned to a life of wanton suffering.”

He added: “As a dark cloud of uncertainty seems to be hanging over our nation, many Nigerians are strongly tempted to succumb to feelings of cynicism or despondency. At a trying time like this, when dare-the-devil terrorists seem to be having a field day, we should recall the comforting and assuring words of Holy Scripture: ‘Be strong and of good courage, do not fear or be in dread of them: for it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you’ (Deut. 31:6).”

“It is difficult to imagine that a large number of terrorists, who unleashed terror on unarmed and law-abiding citizens, can disappear in broad daylight without a trace”

Bishop Ugorji said it is totally unacceptable for Nigerians to “groan daily in pain with anguished hearts and seem resigned to a feeling of hopelessness and helplessness” and called “on the government to be moved by the plight of our people and take effective measures to liberate them from avoidable pains and agony.”

The bishops are alarmed at how the train route from Abuja to Kaduna, which used to be a safety net for thousands of commuting travelers, has now become a haven for terrorists.

Despite these wanton killings, the government seems complacent, helpless or compromising as no single arrest or prosecution has been done, Bishop Ugorji said. 

“It is difficult to imagine that a large number of terrorists, who unleashed terror on unarmed and law-abiding citizens, can disappear in broad daylight without a trace,” he said.

“It is indeed very hard to believe that our security apparatus lacks intelligence or the ability to fight and defeat terrorists in our nation. Nigerians are sick of flimsy excuses and bogus promises from the government to deal with terrorists. As a mark of honor, the government should rise to its primary responsibility of protecting the life and property of its citizens.”

* Father Justine John Dyikuk is a lecturer in mass communication at the University of Jos in Nigeria, editor of a Caritas newspaper and convener of the Media Team Network Initiative (MTNI), Nigeria. Email: [email protected].

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