••• WONDERS IF LEADERS HAVE ABDICATED FROM PROTECTING NIGERIANS
Bishop Emmanuel Badejo, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Oyo has asked President Muhammadu Buhari and the security agencies to tell Nigerians how many more innocent persons would be massacred before the ongoing killings in the country would stop.
Bishop Badejo spoke while delivering the homily in a requiem mass organized for 22 out of the 40 massacred worshippers of St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, on Friday.
Badejo said that the questions became inevitable because a part of the Nigeria was in the 22 coffins that were spread out for the funeral service at the St Francis Catholic Church where the worshippers were killed by terrorists on June 5.
He stressed that the 75 worshippers who escaped death represent Nigeria with the different degrees of injuries they sustained from the attack.
“On this kind of occasion, we must ask, how many more must die before the senseless killings in Nigeria stops? In this coffin, a part of Nigeria lies dead. Because lying down here with this deceased one are the joys and hope and aspirations of the families, of their loved ones, the church of God, of their various communities, and indeed of Nigeria.
The Clergyman said that being a Christian does not condemned a citizen to brutal, savage and barbaric acts of murder, kidnapping, marginalization and persecution as it is in his country.
He said, “On this kind of occasion, we must ask, how many more must die before the senseless killings in Nigeria stops? In this coffin, a part of Nigeria lies dead. Because lying down here with this deceased ones are the joys and hope and aspirations of the families, of their loved ones, the church of God, of their various communities, and indeed of Nigeria.
“ Even the ones who are maimed and wounded wherever they are represent Nigeria with all her self inflicted wounds: – bruised, brutalized, violated and abused.
“So I ask, for how much longer shall this continue? From our President, from the Federal Government, from our lawmakers, security agencies and all our leaders who have responsibilities at all levels, we ask today, how many more must die…
“Well how many more must die. Jesus came and died so that we shall live.
By being Christians, we are not walking corpses merely waiting to be killed. We are compelled to ask Nigeria, our leaders: Are you still our leaders? Are we at war? Have you abdicated leadership? How many more must die? Leaders must be leaders not mere dealers. Few indeed have been courageous leaders who indeed have raised their voice against the ongoing persecution and injustice in many sectors in country.
“To surrender to faith is not to surrender to bestial murder, not to surrender to injustice, discrimination, marginalization, or oppression.
Badejo said that the Christian faith had come under a heavy test as shown by the fact what happened at Owo was being repeated in smaller or larger scales against Christians in part of the country.
According to him, the Christian Community is worried because there is nothing to indicate that efforts are being made to address the worsening insecurity in the country.
“In fact, we have a long bloody list always growing over the last 30 years from the victims of the religions riots in March 1987 in Nothern Nigeria, the victims of the Christian day bomb blast in 2011 in a Catholic Church, Madallah, the victims of the January 5, 6, 2012 attack at Mubi, the kidnappings and killings of May faithfuls, citizens, women, seminarians some of whose churches and residents were destroyed. Thousands of innocent people especially Christians have lost their lives.
“Even as I speak, many priests and citizens of this country are in the hands of kidnappers. According to SB intelligence, a Nigerian based research farm, almost 900 Nigerians have been killed in violent attack in the first quarter of 2022 alone.” He added
He called on President Buhari, the state government and the security agencies to take effective collaborative steps to stop the killings against Christiansyo prevent the citizens to opting for self help in defending and protecting themselves from killers.
“I call on President Buhari and the State Government to wake up, team up and act up to secure life and property all over Nigeria. How many more must die? Does life still have any value with you?
“Are we to believe that insurgents, ISWAP, Boko Haram, bandits and murderous herdsmen are more powerful than the entire Federal Government? Is that what we are to believe? Is declaring weakness and helplessness of our security agencies real or deliberate. Many more questions need answers.
“The present situation should not continue so that people may not resort to self help and kill this country entirely:
In the Catholic Church, there exist a moral principle and right to self defence which does not mean aggression and it is only justly mitigated by public security. Life is God’s most precious gift and by that token, it must be defended.
“In the face of unprovoked aggression and imminent dangers to life, life must be defended. The right to self defence remains an important Christian value and it is part of Catholic teachings.
A a corollary of the self defence principle, Nigerians must take our county back to the path of righteousness.” He said
He lamented that among the deceased were an 85 year old worshipper, Mrs Bridget Ozulumba, two year Chukwuemeka Emmanuel Njoku, Mathilda Ogungbade who was only three whose only sin was going to the house of their God to worship Him.
In his remarks, the Catholic Arch Bishop of Ondo, Bishop Jude Arogundade, who described the killers as cowards wondered why Nigerians are not availed the opportunity of state police in accordance with standard practice all over the world.
He said that Nigeria which he described as shameless failed the massacred 40 innocent worshippers.
He lamented that the Government would only make promises which are not fulfilled as the words are not backed with action.
“Why don’t we have state police in this country? Why do we have to beg. Some of them are used to blood, but we are not used to it. Some lawmakers outside the country are thinking that genocide is going on in Nigeria.
“Nigeria has no Shame, you make promises you can’t fulfill, you don’t match your words with action. Your country failed you.
“You have to claim this country back. Let us work so as to claim this country back. We are not diminished by this act at all. This renews our resolve. We have to stand tall for the liberation of this country.
“Government you shame us, we are not proud of you.” He said