Nigerian bishops condemn atrocities against Muslims

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) issued a statement on August 26 in response to the abduction of over 100 Muslim worshippers in the Borgu area of Niger State and the killing of about 47 people in Benue State on August 21.

The statement, signed by the CBCN president Archbishop Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso of Kaduna, declared support for the Muslim community, emphasising that the bishops’ responsibilities extend to every Nigerian.

More than 100 people were abducted from a mosque in Borgu, Niger State, in northwest Nigeria, while the violence in Ukum, Benue State, in the southeast, left at least 47 people dead and 17 others critically wounded.

“In a national landscape where insecurity is often filtered by politicians and their supporters through a narrow, sectarian lens, the Catholic bishops chose unyielding solidarity with their Muslim compatriots, with all Nigerians and with humanity,” the statement said.

“While extending deep sympathies to the bereaved in Benue, the bishops aligned themselves directly with the Muslim community in Niger State, praying for and demanding the immediate, safe release of all abducted worshippers.”

Citing a passage from the Book of Genesis, “The blood of your brother cries out to me from the ground”, the bishops emphasised that “no political, ethnic or religious cause can ever justify such cruelty”.

They insisted that “whether violence strikes in a mosque, a church, a crowded market or a private home, the trauma inflicted on innocent citizens requires a corresponding, unwavering response to correct these injustices, protect the vulnerable and restore safety”.

A report from the CBCN warned “political leaders and security chiefs against falling into dangerous complacency”.

The bishops called for “proactive, intelligence-driven operations to neutralise criminal hubs before they strike, and . . . the swift prosecution of all sponsors and perpetrators to break the cycle of impunity”.

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Bishops declare solidarity with Nigerian Muslims after mosque abduction (By Dickson Adeyanju/The Tablet)