News
Over 50, 15 churches shut by rampaging herdsmen in Benue, Catholic Church, cries out!
Reverend Father Joseph Beba, Chairman Makurdi Diocese, of the Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests Association (NCDPA), on Sunday, painted the stark picture of how terrorists including armed herdsmen, devastating the state in recent years have made the denomination a major target through deadly attacks.
Their activities had led to more than 50 people being killed and 15 Catholic parishes being forced to shut down in just one month, he told reporters in the state, while strongly condemning the wave of violence, which he said were calculated and coordinated effort to wipe out Tiv communities.
Accusing security forces, particularly the military stationed in the affected areas, of complicity and inaction, he said: “Among those affected are Catholic priests, and this has led to the closure of 15 parishes in Makurdi Diocese alone.
Citing the case of Solomon Atongo, the priest in charge of St. John’s Quasi Parish, Jimba, he said the cleric was recently killed just 500 meters from a military checkpoint at Tse Orbiam, with no response from the stationed personnel, while the community itself was later attacked.
He listed other affected other communities to include Tse Orbiam, Ahume, Jimba, Nagi-Camp, Aondoana, Yelewata, and Abegana — all located within the Makurdi Diocese, adding that the assaults on them at different times resulted in numerous deaths, including women, children, and even a pregnant woman.
“These acts are inhumane, barbaric, and a gross violation of the sanctity and dignity of human life. These attacks may be linked to Bishop Wilfred Anagbe’s recent testimonies in the U.S. and Europe about the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
“These attacks are a direct assault on the Bishop of Makurdi Diocese and the Catholic Church he represents. They appear coordinated and retaliatory. The bishop’s home village of Aondoana was also attacked on May 25, with clergy and nuns fleeing into the bush for safety.
“In yet another attack on May 26, terrorists invaded Nagi-Camp, only five kilometers from a Nigerian Army base in Agagbe, and still, there was no military intervention. The following night, Yelewata community in Guma Local Government Area was attacked, with an entire family wiped out and Revd. Fr. Jonathan Ukuma narrowly escaping assassination.”
Emphasising on the ordeal of the church, he lamented the growing sense of abandonment, noting that neither the federal nor state government had visited the victims or shown solidarity, even as communities were displaced and religious leaders attacked.
“We are not sure whose side the military is on. Their behavior raises serious suspicions of complicity. The increasingly unsafe Naka-Makurdi and Taraku-Naka roads are further proof of the deteriorating security situation.
“We call on Governor Hyacinth Alia, to act decisively against this ethnic cleansing of the Tiv people. We also demand that President Bola Tinubu declare full-scale war on the terrorist elements identified by Governor Alia as foreign invaders.
“Failure to act decisively will be seen as indifference or complicity. To be silent is to die twice. We also call for immediate government compensation for victims and the return of displaced persons to their ancestral lands. We insist that the government’s constitutional duty is to protect the lives and dignity of its citizens.
“Our commitment to the gospel, will not be silenced. We encourage Nigerian youths to be prepared to defend their faith, farmlands, and communities within the bounds of the law. The right to self-defence is inalienable for all citizens.”
It was another day of misery in Kwara State, when daredevil terrorists reportedly stormed Yashikira Community in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, and as has been the case in many of the attacks, abducting scores of residents including women and children.
But, apparently to register their authority, the gunmen, who were said to have operated for hours without challenge from the security operatives, were said to have torched the palace of the Emir.
The attackers, which reportedly occurred late Sunday night were said to have announced their presence through heavy firing and after storming the palace of the monarch during the period, set it on fire before whisking away their victims, but a similar attempt at the police station in the community, was repelled.
While some of the residents, narrated how the spent hours without resistance, leaving behind destruction and fear in the border community, another account said the villagers were caught unawares as the gunmen invaded the town under the cover of darkness.
However operatives made up of the police and military personnel, were said to have launched a manhunt immediately for the immediate rescue of the victims, including throwing a cordon in the area as part of the mission.
“The suspect offered ₦500 million to the SPU commander in an attempt to make the team stand down and allow him to contact his associates to move the consignment elsewhere. The offer was rejected immediately and properly documented for further investigation.”
These were the exact words of Olohundare Jimoh Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), with which he detailed how operatives of the Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) scoffed at a N500million bribe to turn their eyes off the importation of a huge consignment of drugs imported into the country.
This was part of the details of a major breakthrough by the operatives after bursting a major drug trafficking syndicate in Lagos, which led to the seizure of suspected illicit drugs estimated at ₦7.8 billion and arresting several suspects, including the alleged kingpin.
In the operation, reportedly carried out by officers of the Special Protection Unit (SPU) in collaboration with divisional police detectives, the operatives, were said to have stormed a house in Mende, Maryland area of Lagos, following months of surveillance and intelligence gathering coordinated by the Zone 2 Headquarters.
The recovered drugs consisted of hundreds of bags of suspected Canadian Loud, allegedly stored in the residence of the prime suspect, Jimoh, said disclosing that the suspect was apprehended on May 19 after weeks of strategic monitoring by operatives.
Offering further details, he said the operation was executed with technical support and guidance from the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, alongside coordinated efforts between the SPU and divisional police teams.
Jimoh revealed that during the operation, the suspect allegedly attempted to bribe the SPU commander with ₦500 million to compromise the mission and allow the movement of the drug consignment.
The AIG described the development as a reflection of the renewed professionalism and operational discipline being entrenched in the Force under the current policing strategy.
He noted that the success of the operation underscored the importance of deploying specialized police units alongside conventional divisional teams in tackling organized crime.
According to him, the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of rapid containment strategies, intelligence-led policing, and professional conduct among the operatives involved in the raid.
“Rapid containment was achieved as the Special Protection Unit worked with divisional teams to secure the perimeter and prevent escape or interference with evidence.
“The operation was intelligence-driven, following months of surveillance and technical monitoring before the raid was carried out.
“The immediate rejection and documentation of the bribe attempt also reflect the standard expected from redeployed personnel at the divisional level,” Jimoh added.
Reacting to the development, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, commended the operatives for their professionalism, saying the success of the operation validated the ongoing redeployment of personnel to divisions and units across Lagos and Ogun states.
The IGP noted: “Policing must be close to the people, and our specialized units must work side by side with divisional teams on the ground.
“The professionalism shown by the SPU commander in rejecting a ₦500 million bribe and following due procedure is the standard we expect. It shows that when you put your best foot forward at the grassroots, you get results and restore public trust.”
Disu further assured that the Force leadership would continue to reward integrity while holding officers accountable to the highest ethical standards.
Police authorities said exhibits recovered during the operation have been properly documented and will be tendered in court. The suspects are currently in custody while investigations continue to track down other members of the drug trafficking network.
Slavery is a wound on the memory of the Universal Church, Pope Leo XIV, said on Monday, as he issued a fresh apology over the participation of the the Catholic Church in the centuries-long delay in condemning slavery.
The pontiff stressed the position of the church after his predecessors had offered similar apologies, said: “For this, in the name of the Church, I sincerely ask for pardon.”
Writing in a major text that warned about “new forms of slavery” behind the digital economy, the joined John Paul II, who denounced slave trade in 1992 before issuing a sweeping request for forgiveness for historical injustices in 2000 and Pope Francis who also repeatedly denounced contemporary forms of slavery.
In his own vein, Pope Leo, pointed out that the Church owned slaves until the Middle Ages and it also advised European sovereigns on how to justify the enslavement of “infidels.”
He stressed in “Magnifica Humanitas” (Magnificent Humanity), a document focused primarily on the rise of artificial intelligence, that it was only in the 19th century that “a formal, absolute and universal condemnation of slavery was clearly articulated.”
Hear him: “It is true that past events cannot be judged anachronistically, as though the moral criteria that matured over time had always been available. Yet neither can we deny or diminish the delay with which both society and the Church came to denounce the scourge of slavery. This constitutes a wound in Christian memory, one from which we cannot consider ourselves detached.”
-
News4 weeks agoBREAKING: Makinde, Turaki, lose! *S’Court affirms Wike’s PDP leadership
-
News2 weeks agoTinubu to African leaders: Copy Nigeria, produce your way out of poverty
-
Features4 weeks agoJim Nwobodo: The Sun shines, thrills, at ‘The Vanguard Awards’
-
News6 days agoBREAKING: US-Nigeria troops slaughter 175 ISWAP fighters
-
News2 weeks agoWhy we pegged presidential ticket forms at N60million – NDC
-
Columns3 days agoDear General Gowon: That apology you’re running from is your nemesis
-
News2 weeks agoGowon on civil war: My book is to put records straight, remove falsehood
-
News2 weeks agoBREAKING! Coast brightens for Obi, as NDC zones presidency to South