Insecurity in Nigeria appears to be taking a turn for the worse as churches are being attacked in different states across the federation, with worshippers kidnapped and maimed. Worst still, priests are now being killed in different churches, prompting a question of if Christians now endangered species. AJUKA OKAH reports.
The insecurity in Nigeria appears to be assuming a dangerous dimension as Nigerians are now kidnapped for ransom, maimed, raped or killed, even in the safety of their homes.
Never in the history of Nigeria did anyone envisage that there would be a time Christians would be afraid of going to churches, for fear of either being kidnapped or killed by undesirable elements.
Even the house of God is no longer respected by the dare devil kidnappers as the media is awash with news of invasion of churches by gunmen, who kidnap and kill worshippers at random.
More pathetic is the fact that religious leaders are not even spared by gunmen as many priests have been recently murdered in different states for no just cause.
Perhaps, the most sensational kidnapping of priests was recorded on Sunday, May 28, when the Prelate of the Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence, Samuel Kanu Uche, was kidnapped alongside the Methodist Bishop of Owerri and the Prelate’s Chaplain, Rt. Rev. Dennis Mark, along Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia state by gunmen.
The clergymen were kidnapped in the afternoon while they were on their way from a programme in the council area.
The Prelate later revealed, during a sensational press briefing in Lagos, that the church paid N100m ransom before they were released as the kidnappers showed him decomposing bodies of some past victims.
On Sunday, June 5, gunmen attacked St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State and at the end, 50 worshippers laid dead and others injured, signalling the arrival of massacre of innocent Christians in different states.
Edo, Kaduna Catholic priests, 2 others killed
On Sunday, June 27, while preparing for the Sunday mass, gunmen abducted and subsequently killed the priest in charge of St. Michael Catholic Church, Ikabigbo, in the Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, Rev. Fr Christopher Odia, while the kidnappers also shot and injured one of the community boys searching for the reverend father.
“The kidnappers came with sophisticated weapons and took away the reverend father while he was preparing for the morning mass. It was sad. One of the boys who tried to look for the cleric was shot and he is currently in a hospital,” the source added.
The traditional ruler of the community, Bramah Alegeh, who confirmed the incident, said the Army, in collaboration with local vigilantes, combed the bush to ensure the release of the cleric.
The Catholic Bishop of Auchi Diocese, Bishop Gabriel Dunia, described the incident as sad, revealing that the two local security men who went after the hoodlums were killed.
Unfortunately, in a statement late on Sunday, the Director of Social Communications, Catholic Diocese of Auchi, Rev. Fr. Peter Egielewa, said the cleric had been killed.
The statement said, “With heavy hearts but with total submission to the will` of God, we announce the death of our priest Rev. Fr. Christopher Odia, who was killed by his abductors after being kidnapped this morning, June 26, 2022, around 6.30am in his rectory while coming out to go for Sunday mass at St. Michael Catholic Church Ikabigbo, Uzairue, Edo State.”
Late Rev. Fr. Vitus Borogo.
Also, on Saturday, at the Prison Farm, Kujama, along the Kaduna-Kachia Road, gunmen killed a Kaduna State-based Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Vitus Borogo.
The Chancellor of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kaduna, Rev. Fr. Christian Emmanuel, in a statement, said the 50-year-old was the chaplain of the Catholic community in Kaduna State.
“It is with a heavy heart, but with total submission to the will of God that we announce the death of Rev. Fr. Vitus Borogo, which sad event took place today (Saturday), at Prison Farm, Kujama, along Kaduna-Kachia road, after a raid on the farm by terrorists,” he added.
Gunmen abduct Catholic priest in Jos
Similarly, on June 12, gunmen abducted the Parish priest of St. Anthony Catholic Church, Angware, Jos East Local Government Area of Plateau state, Rev. Fr. James Kantoma.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, DSP Alabo Alfred, confirmed the abduction to newsmen in Jos, saying that Kantoma, who is also the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the local government, was kidnapped on Sunday night at the church’s vicarage.
Missionaries abducted in Kogi
Furthermore, on June 13, the Police in Kogi confirmed the abduction of three missionaries by gunmen, including Evangelist Peter Adigidzi, Pastor Mike Baba and Pastor Sunday Abah: all working with Child Evangelical Fellowship (CEF) and residents of Lokoja.
State Commissioner of Police, Edward Egbuka, who confirmed the incident to newsmen in Lokoja, said they got a report from the Children Evangelism Ministry that three of its missionaries were abducted on Friday.
“We are aware of the unfortunate and worrisome incident and have taken drastic measures to track down the suspected abductors to rescue the clerics. Our tactical team have been deployed to strategic places in search of the victims and to arrest the kidnapers to face the wrath of the law,” Egbuka said.
The Kogi Coordinator of Children Evangelism Ministry, Evangelist Charles Esho, explained that the victims were on an assignment at Ejule Community in Ofu Local Government Area of the state when the incident occurred, even as he appealed to security operatives to assist in searching and rescuing the missionaries to unite them with their family members.
“As a ministry, we are passionately appealing to the security operatives to do something drastic to rescue the clerics from their abductors. We are all worried over the safety of the abducted brothers as we don’t know where they (abductors) have taken them to as up till this moment there’s no word from them,” he said.
Nigerians lament
Expectedly, the abduction and killing of priests and worshippers have not gone down well with Nigerians as many have questioned the ineffectiveness of government security agencies in tackling the menace.
Speaking with New National Star, a civil servant, Mrs Otuekong Favour, said that Christians have become endangered species as government has not been able to protect them and other Nigerians.
“People are being killed just for being in church and for being Christians. Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media, Malam Garba Shehu, will only issue statements to condemn the killings, without his principal doing anything to curb the menace. Apparently, Christians and church goers are fast becoming endangered species in Buhari’s Nigeria.
“May God open the eyes of every Nigerian to see right and do it. May he help us not to be carried away by greed and pea nuts at the expense of the future of this great nation. Our national flag is green-white-green, may it never change to be splashed with the blood of innocent citizens. May God bless Nigeria,” she said.
Also speaking with New National Star, an ICT consultant, Abdullahi Auwal Suleiman, said that the attacks and killing of Christians shows that the present government lacks the will to protect Nigerians.
He said: “Attacking innocent people from whatever or whosoever they believe in is unacceptable, but it seems like this government likes condemning without taking legal actions. When I heard the CAN Kaduna branch say that nobody should expect anything good from this government and that all that the government has done can’t be better than what was done in the past, I was doubtful. He said that Nigerians should expect worse from this government and indeed it has manifested and still manifesting I couldn’t believe it until now.
“This government has shown high level of incompetence and weakness in managing our security. Our president who is supposed to be a general keeps expressing shock and promising to bring perpetrators to justice without any corresponding actions. And so these criminals keep attacking innocent civilians unabatedly.”
Presidency’s reaction
However, despite being silent on the recent kidnapping and killing of priests and worshippers, on June 23, the Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, said in a statement that President Muhammadu Buhari is determined to tackle insecurity.
He said: “From the tragedy in Owo two weeks ago that shook our nation to its core, to the killings and kidnappings just this weekend in Kaduna State, it is clear that there is a design by wicked people to put the country under religious stress.
President Muhammadu Buhari believes that “our religious freedom, our diversity, is what makes Nigeria great. It is this diversity that gives Nigeria its strength. That is why Nigeria’s enemies seek to destroy it, by putting us against one another.
“We will not let them. The nation will not be distracted or divided by these obviously planned and politically motivated criminal outrages. The perpetrators are cowards; weak and wicked men with guns murdering, in cold blood, unarmed women and children at their places of worship.
“Having noted the starkness of the contrast between the actions of those hateful cowards and those of true Nigerians in the aftermath of Owo, the President observed that “seeing the crowd of Nigerians voluntarily rushing to donate blood after the attack, thronging the local hospitals, even in the midst of mourning, I was proud of my country. I was filled with hope.”