The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to fulfill his campaign promises of ending the killing of defenceless citizens across the country.
He also charged the president to keep his vows to treat all Nigerians equally not minding their respective tribes, religion and political views.
Onaiyekan, represented at a protest by Catholic faithful in Abuja, by his auxiliary, Bishop Anselm Umoren, said: “Mr. President, we call on you to keep to your promise to secure the life of every Nigerian and treat all citizens equally.
“We remind you that the rampaging squad of terrorist herdsmen, who have turned Nigeria into a killing field, seem to be above the law.
“We have not heard of any arrests or prosecution of these murderers who continue to amuse themselves with the blood of innocent Nigerians.
“We wish to remind you, Mr. President, that there is no Nigeria that we know of who goes to bed with his two eyes closed. Those who go to bed with their two eyes closed are murdered in their sleep.
“We wish to remind you that the basis of the existence of government is the security of the citizens. This is what we are asking for. We are not asking for too much.
“Secure our lives. People are being cut down in our country and many of us are wondering whether there is still a government in our nation.
“Mr. President, when will the killings end? Time is ticking, and the bomb must be defused quickly.”
He also urged citizens, especially Catholic faithful, not to be discouraged by the murder of the two priests and 17 worshippers at St. Ignatius Church, Mbalom Benue State but to continue praying for the repose of their souls and for peace in Nigeria.
On his part, the Emeritus Archbishop of Lagos Archdiocese, Cardinal Anthony Okogie, has lamented the continued killing of Nigerians by Fulani herdsmen across the country.
Okogie said under the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, a “cow has more value than myself.”
The Catholic cleric spoke with The Sun, regretting that Christians in Buhari’s government are keeping quiet while the killings continue.
“Enough is enough! That is my message and the message of the people today: Enough is enough, because it can lead to something else.
“Carnage is not good. Spilling blood is not good. Then it means that a cow has more value than myself. We are not in India. This is Nigeria.”
Noting that Nigerians were fed up with the killings across the country, Okogie insisted that it appeared Buhari was “asleep. ”
On the protest staged by Catholic faithful across the country, the Cardinal said the protests were to awaken the President to the seriousness of the state of insecurity in the country.
According to him, “as a good father, if somebody is disturbing you in your house, what will you do? Will you allow the person to continue to disturb you?
“That is what we are saying. It is getting rampant and getting too much. Now, we are trying to make the head of state to do something, to wake up if he is asleep. It is annoying.”
Meanwhile, the Primate Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, said killing of Christians by armed herdsmen will not abate unless the bandits are first disarmed and exposed.
He said this in his solidarity speech during the “Life is Sacred” protests by Catholics in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said: “Government is a social contract between the politicians and the people. The people give up some of their rights in obedience to the laws of the land while the politicians who form the government protect the entire citizenry not a section of the population.
“Mr. President, must fish out these killer-herdsmen, and disarm them. As long as they have not been disarmed and exposed, Christians are not yet safe. Until that is done, there is no hope yet.
“The killings are a form of psychological warfare foisted on the church, a weak attempt to intimidate the Christians into taking the back seat in the affairs of the nation.”