Osogbo Catholic Faithful Protest Against Incessant Killings By Herdsmen

The Catholic Diocese of Osogbo, Osun state on Tuesday organised a nationwide prayer and peaceful protest against incessant killings and attacks in some region of the country.

The Bishop of Osogbo Diocese, Most Rev. John Oyejola who spoke with CityMirrorNews said the protest is in line with the directive from the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria.

While commending specifically the murder of of two Catholic priests, Rev. Fr. Joseph Gor and Fr. Felix Tyolaha as well as seventeen other Catholic faithful by a gang of terrorists on Tuesday, April 24 at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Ukor-Mbalom, Gwer-East Local Government Area of Benue state during morning Mass said “Nigeria now flows with blood instead of the honey it is known for.”

The members of the church including priests and lay faithful, while armed with rosaries, bibles and placards of various inscriptions demanded for immediate lasting by the Federal Government and other relevant bodies to stop killings in the country.

While praying, members of the church in Osogbo joined other dioceses across the country to demonstrate against reoccurring bloodletting I the country.

The Catholic mission faithful who dressed in their various church uniform had converged at Jaleyemi area and marched to the popular Olaiya junction before proceeding to the Osun State House of Assembly where a statement of concerns was presented to the Speaker, Hon. Najeem Salaam.

Some of the placards displayed by the prayerful demonstrators read “Enough is Enough,” ” Stop Incessant Killings Now” “Embrace The Culture of Life, not that of killing ” “FG should bring Killer herdsmen to justice,” “Provide job for youths and not guns” “Human lives are sacred, protect it, ” among others.

Speaking on behalf of the bishop, the Vicar General of the diocese, Very Rev. Fr. Thaddeus Ajayi, said the country now flows with human blood instead of honey.

This peaceful and prayerful protest is in compliance with the directive of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN). It’s tagged “March For Life”. We are protesting the incessant killings taking place in all parts of our country Nigeria. We are calling on government to provide adequate security for everyone and take decisive steps in ending the current culture of death through a sincere respect for, protection and promotion of human life.”

He asked the federal government to find lasting solution the incessant killings in the country. The Bishop also called on the Federal Government to issue urgent directive to security agencies in the country to provide better security for all.

A statement of concerns presented by the church to Osun Assembly Speaker at the Assembly Complex where the demonstration terminated, asked the Federal Government to wake up to its constitutional responsibility of protecting human life and property.

The statement signed by the Vicar General and made available to NJ our correspondent reads partly, “this is to register the collective sorrow, displeasure and anguish of all Catholic faithful in Osogbo Diocese and the entire Osun state, about the incessant shedding of human blood in our beloved country, Nigeria. Human life, in n Nigeria of today, seems to have no value.

“This statement of concerns is presented by the Catholic Diocese of Osogbo to the Honourable Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, for onward transmission to the Executive Governor of Osun State and the President and Commander -in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“This peaceful March For Life is to tell the elected representatives of the people in Osun state, and demonstrate to international community, that enough is enough of bloodletting in Nigeria. The land can no longer absorb the blood of innocent Nigerians being shed daily. Be it that of Christians, Moslems, Northerners or Southerners, we assert unequivocally that a human person is sorry more than millions of cows and human life is more valuable than all the wealth in the world.

Human life is sacred and no one has the right to take another person’s life under any pretense. It is an abomination to see human lives being wasted everyday without adequate proactive steps taken to prevent the occurrence or to significantly deter the killers.

“The suspected Fulani herdsmen, the faceless bandits that have suddenly registered their presence in the killing fields of Nigeria, the kidnappers, the ritualists and Boko Haram suicide bombers are not living on a separate planet different from ours. The killers are not ghosts or extra -terrestial beings. It baffles the Imagination of Nigerians why it is taking eternity to arrest them, stop their murderuous plans and permanently put an end to their nefarious activities in our nation?

“It seems the country is gradually embracing the culture of death instead of the culture of life! It is a pity that those whose duty it is to prevent such a deviation are either compromising or not doing enough.

“In a recent statement issued by the Catholic Bishops ‘ Conference of Nigeria to protest the gruesome killings mentioned above, our bishops captured the feeling of millions of Nigerians when they said : “We are sad. We are angry. We feel totally exposed and vulnerable… How can the Federal Government stand back while it’s security agencies deliberately turn blind eye to the cries and wails of helpless citizens who remain sitting ducks in their homes, farms. Highway and now, even in their sacred places of worship? ” As a diocese, we are expressing the same feelings even as we prayerfully visit this hallowed chamber.”

“We must warn without mincing words, that a continued inability to tame the killers in the counselor eventually turn our beloved nation to a failed state. The consequences, God forbids, would be too much even for the international community to handle. In order to avert the impending doom, the Federal Government must use all lawful means to arrest the situation now, since a stitch in time saves nine. ”

Various priests including Rev. Frs. Francis Idowu and Fr. Joseph Ochonogor who spoke with journalists also condemned the incessant killings and insecurity in the country saying that security officers who have been found wanting in the performance ofbtheid official duties, either by way of compromise or culpable negligence should be called to account for such professional misconduct .

The Catholic priests stressed that those who have demonstrated their incompetence in protecting human lives should be relieved of their duties before more serious havoc is caused by their negligence.