Boko Haram Killed 500 Catholics In Borno, Says Archbishop

The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri, Most Rev. Oliver Doeme, on Wednesday, said no fewer than 500 Catholics were killed by Boko Haram agents in Borno State while 25 reverend fathers and 40 reverend sisters were displaced in the crisis.

Speaking in Maiduguri, he lamented that 250 Catholic churches were razed in the Boko Haram militants in 2014 alone in the North-East.

According to Punch report, the Archbishop described the birth and sustenance of Boko Haram as an “offshoot of corruption” in the country, adding that 80,000 Catholics were displaced by the insurgency with 64,000 fleeing into Cameroon.

Doeme added that over 50 Catholic catechists were displaced in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno states at the peak of Boko Haram insurgency.

He commended the present government for its successes in the ongoing war against terrorism.

The cleric lauded the achievements of the military in its war against the insurgents and called on the government to do more to put a stop to the violence in the region.

He stressed that there were still pockets of attacks and suicide bombings.

“The battle against Boko Haram should not be limited to the physical realm but it needs to be fought in the spiritual realm for it is a demonic attack,” he stated.

He called on Christian bodies to be engaged in the rebuilding plan of the North-East.

The cleric added, “If the churches have been part of assisting the victims of the insurgency, they should equally be involved in the rebuilding plan,” the cleric added.