The Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor has expressed displeasure over what he called the prolonged silence of the federal government in the killings.
Ezeokafor spoke Tuesday after Catholics in the various dioceses in Anambra State had taken part in procession that coincided with the burial of two Catholic priests and 17 others in Benue State by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
Speaking through the Chancellor of the Diocese, Reverend Father Francis Chidume, the bishop argued that the silence was an indication that the penetrators of the heinous crime acted on instructions.
In the various towns, the Christians marched from their parishes to the Cathedral where they were addressed by the Bishop’s representative.
The parishioners, in their large numbers, marched from the Alex Ekwueme square in Awka to the St. Patrick’s Cathedral, carrying placards with various inscriptions, “Christian killing should stop,” “Life is sacred, life is precious, defend it,” among others.
The cleric said, “It is unfortunate that since the killings of the priests and parishioners, the President of the country is yet to make any statement, proving that the so-called Fulani herdsmen are acting on a written instruction.
“It was a calculated attempt targeted to wipe out the entire Christians from the face of Nigeria, but this can never happen because God is with us and he abhors killing of any form.
“We decided to engage in a protest march and invoking the power, mercy and intervention of God to express the way we feel about the killings. We are here to let the whole world hear us concerning the blood of Christians, especially the Catholic faithful that are being shed regularly.
“We regret the federal government’s inability to defend the lives and property of the citizenry.”
He said the protest, which coincided with the burial of the slain priests and parishioners, was in fulfillment of the directive of the Catholic Bishop Conference of Nigeria on the insecurity of lives and property of Nigerians.
According to him, it was also to remind the President Buhari administration that the protection of lives and property of the citizenry was his constitutional responsibility, adding that anything short of that was failure on its part.
