The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has issued a scathing rebuke of both the Federal Government and the Benue State Government over what it described as a grievous failure to protect citizens amid a wave of brutal killings in Benue State and other parts of the country.
In a strongly worded statement released on Thursday and signed by the President of the CBCN and Archbishop of Owerri, Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, the bishops expressed “heavy hearts and deep anguish” over the spate of violence they condemned as “utterly barbaric.”
“These cold-blooded attacks on defenceless communities—where countless have been slaughtered, homes destroyed, and families left in anguish—are an affront to God, a stain on our shared humanity, and a terrifying reminder of the utter breakdown of security in our land,” the statement read.
The bishops emphasized that no government can claim success merely by building infrastructure or paying salaries while failing to uphold the sanctity of human life. “No matter how well a government pays salaries or builds roads, its failure to protect human lives renders its achievements hollow,” the CBCN stated.
Calling for immediate and decisive action, the bishops urged both federal and state authorities to restore peace, arrest the perpetrators of the killings, and ensure justice for the victims and their families.
In a stark warning about the moral duty of governance, the CBCN added, “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.”
The CBCN’s statement comes in the wake of growing national concern over escalating insecurity in parts of Nigeria, with Benue State among the worst-hit regions in recent months.
