Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has expressed concern over troubling patterns of slow or absent security intervention during attacks on several mainly Christian communities.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a statement issued on Tuesday, the bishops criticised the worsening security climate and addressed claims of the alleged Christian genocide.
According to the CBCN, the repeated assaults on Christian settlements have fuelled those allegations.
The statement reads, “It is a matter of grave concern that several predominantly Christian communities, particularly in the Northern and middle belt regions of the country, have come under repeated and brutal attacks, resulting in heavy casualties and the tragic loss of many Christian lives.”
The bishops said some incidents included disturbing reports of delayed or withheld security responses, giving the impression of possible collusion or a lack of will to act.
They added that the destruction of entire communities and continued assaults on displaced persons, even in camps, have intensified feelings of abandonment.
The statement added, “The near-total destruction and occupation of some communities, and the continued attacks on displaced persons even in camps, have deepened the people’s sense of abandonment and despair. Such prolonged unbearable conditions have given credence to allegations of ‘genocide’ in some quarters.”
“Yet, mindful of the sacred dignity and inestimable worth of every human life, we are equally deeply concerned that Muslims and many other innocent citizens of diverse ethnic backgrounds have also been victims of this same cruelty that continues to desecrate our common humanity.”
The clerics urged the federal government to probe the reports of delayed or blocked security responses in affected areas as part of efforts to restore public confidence.
They also called for swift action against perpetrators of the recent spate of kidnappings in Kebbi, Kwara, Borno, and Niger states.
