The Catholic Archbishop of Jos, Most Rev Ignatius Kaigama, has condemned the recent killings of innocent lives in some communities of Southern part of Kaduna State.
Kaigama, who is the President, Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), said this in an article titled: ”The Sacredness of Life Versus the Slaughter of Innocent Nigerian Citizens Today”.
The article was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Jos.
The cleric, who expressed worry over the wanton destruction of lives and property in Southern Kaduna, added that Nigeria had gone through difficult moments lately, hence in dire need of total peace.
He said the attacks and counter attacks in southern Kaduna would rather aggravate Nigeria’s challenges, and would further impoverish the poor masses.
The cleric said that no one had the right to take the life of another person at will, unless God, the creator and giver of life.
”At the New Year Mass on Jan. 1, I preached on the need to always show gratitude to God, correct the mistakes of our past.
“And to value our civil leaders for little acts of mercy we were getting from their programme of political governance.
“I also reminded Nigerians of the need for hard work and patience.
“I, however, woke up this morning feeling depressed and angry; this is almost a contradiction to the spirit I had asked people to avoid in the New Year.
“Many questions propped up in my mind as to our safety in our country.
“If enough is being done to protect us; how long the hunger I see written on the faces of many widows, children and youths will last.
“What of the inflation that has made life so miserable. What about the reckless and needless killings. How can human lives be so casually terminated.
”It is a pity that the younger generation in Nigeria is growing with an unfortunate impression that life is very cheap and can be taken away by anyone or group.
”We have had rough, tough and bad times when innocent Nigerians lost their lives as it is being experienced now in Southern Kaduna.
”Before now, it was Agatu, Madagali, Gwoza, Yobe, Plateau, parts of Taraba, Nasarawa, Anambra, Abia and other parts of the country and where next.’’
He advised government at all levels to proffer solutions to these acts of savagery.
The cleric commended the security agencies for responding swiftly to the Southern Kaduna crisis, and urged them to be highly professional and apolitical in the discharge of their duties.
The Archbishop called on President Muhammadu Buhari to break the silence, adopt stringent and proactive measures to end the killings in Southern Kaduna and other crisis prone areas in the country. (NAN)
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