News
Bishops Condemn Jihadi Attacks As Death Toll Hits 100
Catholic bishops in Nigeria have renewed their demands for an end to the killing of Christians in the country, saying there is “no justification for the continuous bloodletting”.
The statement comes in the wake of a spate of attacks in Benue State that left at least 100 people dead.
On June 1, armed groups believed to be Jihadist Fulani herdsmen struck communities in Gwer West and Apa counties, killing at least 43 people. Similar attacks had earlier taken place in several villages in Gwer that led to the deaths of 42 people.
In Plateau State, nearly 40 people were killed between June 1 and June 2, and between May 24 and 25,at least 50 civilians – most of them Christians were butchered by Fulani herdsmen in Munga Lelau and Munga Dasso-two farming communities in Karim-Lamido county in Taraba state.
And over 179 Christians were massacred in separate attacks in Nigeria’s Middle Belt during the Easter Triduum, between April 18–20.
According to Genocide Watch, over 45,000 Christians were killed between 2009 and March 2022. Approximately 30,000 moderate Muslims were also killed during the period.
Thousands of people have been forced to flee because of the attacks. According to the Catholic-inspired NGO, International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law, Intersociety, Fulani herdsmen have already uprooted some 950 Christian communities in Nigeria’s South East, with the Fulani Jihadists taking over those communities.
Africa’s most populous nation has been the theater of anti-Christian killings since 2009, with Christian non-profit, Open Doors reporting that 3,100 Christians were killed in Nigeria in 2024 alone, and more than 2,000 kidnapped.
Catholic bishops in the country have once more spoken forcefully against the continued massacres.
The bishops said in their statement: “There is no justification whatsoever for the continuous bloodletting that has become the daily reality of many in Benue State and across Nigeria.
“The relentless attacks on innocent and defenseless communities under the watch of civil authorities constitute a grave moral and constitutional failure. Hence, this carnage must end.”
The bishops said they recognised the efforts of the Benue State Government to provide the population with much needed infrastructure and the payment of civil servants ‘salaries, but noted that such achievements ring hollow in the face of failure to protect citizens.
They said: “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.”
In comments to Crux, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja (pictured) said Christian communities have continued to grow in spite of the attacks.
“The spate of killings, kidnappings, and destruction of church personnel and facilities in Nigeria is a continuation of a situation Nigerians have had to deal with for many years,” Archbishop Kaigama said.
“The Christian communities in northern Nigeria, especially those in Plateau state, continue to endure violent attacks by armed groups.
“The Middle Belt region remains a hotbed for these brutal assaults, while the Islamic militant group Boko Haram is intensifying its activities against Christians in the Northeast. Boko Haram’s continued targeting of Christians in Northeastern Nigeria compounds the suffering.”
The archbishop blamed poor leadership and the resultant high levels of poverty for some of the killings.
Emeka Umeagbalasi, the director of Intersociety, said Christians are being targeted in a genocidal attempt to replace them with Muslims, an agenda which he believes is being pushed by the government.
In an interview with International Christian Concern, he noted that there has been a large radicalisation of the Nigerian military with “Jihadists conscripted through the backdoor into the country’s security forces”.
He said much of the radicalisation happened under former President, Muhamadu Buhari, who is a Fulani man himself.
The bishops said “every single death in such circumstances is a national tragedy and a scandal against our common humanity.”
They urged the Nigerian government-both at federal and state levels to take “immediate, firm, and sustained action to secure lives and restore hope to our people”.
As if the killings by fellow humans haven’t been enough, Nigeria also suffered its worst floods in 60 years when over 150 people were killed as floodwaters swept through Niger state.
Bishop Martin Igwemezie Uzoukwu of Minna said besides the deaths, the floods wiped out full communities, with the people losing virtually everything.
“Be assured of our prayers and our support as we work together to rebuild the community and restore hope to our people,” he said.
Thecatholicherald.com
Many people are feared to have lost their lives as a military aircraft with tail number NGR 931, en route Lagos from Benin, crashed in the Igbokoda axis of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State on Monday.
The Ondo State Police Command Spokesperson, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, who confirmed the incident to journalists in Akure, noted that details surrounding the incident are still emerging, as efforts to establish the full circumstances continue.
Jimoh said: “The Command urges members of the public, particularly residents of Igbokoda and adjoining communities, to remain calm and refrain from circulating unverified information.”
He stated further that the public will be duly informed as soon as further credible information is available.
Also, a statement by the Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, said that all efforts to raise the aircraft on radio proved abortive.
According to him, the wreckage has been located, and search and rescue operations are ongoing.
Preliminary information suggests that there were 25 passengers and 7 crew members on board.
“Whilst the control and regulation of military aircraft are completely outside the authority of the Ministry of Aviation, and Civil Aviation Authority, I have just spoken to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke and pledged our total cooperation and assistance in the search and rescue efforts ongoing”, Keyamo added.
The identity of the helicopter and the persons on board are yet to be ascertained as of the time of this report.
The Olubosin of Ifetedo in Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State, Oba Akinola Oyetade Akinrera (Latiiri I), has reportedly joined his ancestors.
Oba Akinrera, the fourth Olubosin of Ifetedo Kingdom, reportedly died on Friday, although the palace has yet to issue an official statement confirming his death.
The monarch ascended the throne in 2018 and was widely regarded by indigenes as a highly respected traditional ruler.
Before his emergence as monarch, Oba Akinrera, a lawyer and public servant, had worked in different capacities, including as a teacher, police officer and staff member of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
He joined the Nigeria Police Force in 1988 and served until 1992, when he joined the NNPC in Lagos.
Born into the Ifetedo community, the late monarch attended CAC Primary School, Ipetumodu, before proceeding to Ifetedo Grammar School for his secondary education.
He later attended the Oyo State College of Education, which subsequently became the Osun State College of Education, Ilesa, and is now the University of Ilesa.
In 1993, he proceeded to Lagos State University, Ojo, where he obtained a Diploma in Law. He subsequently gained admission to the University of Lagos in 1997 to study Law and graduated in 2004.
Following his reported death, tributes have continued to pour in from indigenes and residents of Ifetedo, with social media platforms awash with condolence messages mourning the monarch.
Many of the messages described Oba Akinrera as a respected traditional ruler whose reign contributed to the development and unity of Ifetedo Kingdom.
As of the time of filing this report, the palace had not officially announced the monarch’s death or released details regarding his burial arrangements.
The Imo State Police Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, has revealed that security operatives have identified the location where 19 prospective National Youth Service Corps members abducted in the state are being held.
This comes two days after gunmen abducted prospective corps members travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
The victims were travelling in two buses when the attackers struck along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in the Umunoha area of Imo State on Thursday.
Naija News reports that Bosso, while giving an update on the search-and-rescue operation in a media interview on Saturday, said security operatives have delayed moving into the camp over fears that it is planted with improvised explosive devices.
Bosso said the police used drones on Friday to locate the suspected camp after security operatives trailed the abductors into the bush, but the security agencies were being cautious because intelligence indicated that the camp had been mined with IEDs.
According to him, the security agencies were preparing to move into the area with heavy equipment, including bulldozers and armoured personnel carriers, in an effort to rescue the victims safely.
He said, “Any moment, we’ll still move into the bush. Yesterday, we were in the bush, we trailed them up to a particular location.
“But at that point in time, we couldn’t move in to where the coordinate showed us where they are because we ran drones yesterday. And the drone actually showed us exactly their location.
“But our predicament is that with the intel we have, the IED is the camp is mined with IEDs.
“We are moving in there with high, you know, high-velocity vehicles, that is, bulldozers, we’re moving in with bulldozers and APCs to see how we’re going to rescue these victims unhurt.”
BLACK MONDAY: Top Nigerian Military Officers, Others Feared Die in Plane Crashes
Nigerian Gov Gives 8 Top Appointment, Others
Tragedy as Prominent Nigerian Pastor Collapses, Dies During Sermon at Funeral
FULL LIST: Top 10 “Tokunbo” Cars You Can Get For ₦3m–₦5m
Former Super Eagles Star Loses Life Savings, Duped By A Pastor of ₦1.2 Billion
