Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria on Tuesday expressed sadness over the Southern Kaduna killings.
The Bishop explained that the Southern Kaduna killings persist because perpetrators are not brought to justice.
They said that there cannot be peace in Southern Kaduna if the Federal and State government did not deal with the perpetrators.
The clergy called on Catholics across the country to embark on prayers session to end the killing in Southern Kaduna.
According to a statement issued in Abuja by the President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Most Rev. Augustine Akubeze, the body warned against politicians politicizing the killings.
Akubeze said: “We, the members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria have been following the recent events in Nigeria closely. We continue to hear of increasing insecurity and unabated acts of terrorism in Northern Nigeria. We are all tired of this situation. We do not want any politician to politicize the killing of Nigerians. There should be one response from everyone, and that is; the killings must stop.
“The perpetrators of the killings must be 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. Any Government, State or Federal that wants peace must work for justice for everyone.
“Our hearts are bleeding, and we are more troubled when we hear of the massacre presently going on in Southern Kaduna. We want all the people suffering the incessant attacks in Southern Kaduna to know that all Catholics in Nigeria are praying for them. We call on the Federal and the Government of Kaduna to bring a complete stop to the killing of innocent people. 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.
“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.
We need not remind Nigerians that 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; a significant increase in the supply of electricity to Nigerians, affordable and quality health care to Nigerians, and the revamping of the educational sector were the promises the Government continues to make”.
They appealed to Nigerians to unite together in calling the Federal Government to give priority to these areas of our lives.
To all Catholics, Akubeze said: “we request that you join in praying, one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be to the Father every day after the Angelus for forty days, starting from 22 August 2020 and ending 30 September 2020, the eve of Nigeria’s Independence Day. On Independence Day, let us join in praying the five decades of the sorrowful mysteries starting from 12.noon. We appeal to each Bishop to encourage the faithful in his Diocese to participate fully in this prayer for God to save Nigeria.”
The Nation
