The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has condemned what it described as barbaric massacre of innocent people in Benue State.
The Catholic Bishops also mourned with those affected by the flood in Mokwa, Niger State, which led to the loss of many lives, properties and displacement of communities.
A statement signed by its President and Archbishop of Owerri, Lucius Ugorji, called on the Federal and Benue State governments to take swift and firm decisions in addressing the bloodletting in the state, and ensuring all perpetrators were apprehended and prosecuted.
While insisting there was no justification whatsoever for the continuous bloodletting in the state and across the country, the bishops noted that the relentless attacks on innocent and defenceless communities under the watch of civil authorities constitutes a grave moral and constitutional failure.
The statement reads in part: “These cold-blooded attacks on defenceless communities where countless have been slaughtered, homes destroyed, and families left in anguish—are an affront to God, a stain on our shared humanity, and a terrifying reminder of the utter breakdown of security in our land. This carnage must end!
“We recognise the efforts of the Benue State Government, especially in the areas of infrastructural development, the opening of impoverished neighbourhoods in Makurdi through road construction, the improved transportation system connecting surrounding villages to the capital, and the consistent payment of salaries to civil servants between the 23rd and 25th of each month. These are commendable strides in governance.
“However, no matter how well a government pays salaries or builds roads, its failure to protect human lives renders its achievements hollow. The sanctity of human life is supreme. It is sacred. It is inviolable. Any government that fails to make the safety and protection of its citizens and their property its foremost priority abdicates its fundamental responsibility and moral legitimacy.
“We, therefore, call on the Government of Benue State, and indeed the Federal Government of Nigeria, to rise beyond mere rhetoric and take immediate, firm, and sustained action to secure lives and restore hope to our people. The perpetrators of these heinous crimes must be identified, apprehended, and brought to justice without delay. We call on the security agencies to end the culture of impunity and bring professionalism, intelligence, and compassion to bear in addressing the deepening insecurity.
“Every Nigerian life matters. Every single death in such circumstances is a national tragedy and a scandal against our common humanity.”
The Bishops noted they were; “deeply saddened by the devastating floods in Mokwa and surrounding areas in Niger State that have resulted in enormous loss of life, injury, displacement, and destruction of homes and infrastructure.”
While commending the government’s response so far, the bishops stated that the scale of disaster calls for urgent, coordinated relief and rehabilitation efforts to restore hope and dignity to the affected communities, even as they called for measures to prevent future occurrences anywhere in the country.
