Catholic Bishops decry ‘persistent’ killings in Southern Kaduna

Members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria have decried the ‘persistent’ killings in Southern Kaduna.

They urged that the incidents should not be polticised and that perpetrators must be brought to justice.

Not fewer than 70 people have been killed between July 10 to August 5 in the age-long crisis rocking the zone.

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In a statement in Abuja by their President, Most Rev. Augustine Akubeze, the Bishops said they were tired of the consistent attacks and something must be done to bring an end to it.

The statement said: “We, the members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, have been following the recent events in Nigeria closely. We continue to hear of increasing insecurity and unabated acts of terrorism in Northern Nigeria.

“We are all tired of this situation. We do not want any politician to politicise the killing of Nigerians. There should be one response from everyone, and that is, the killings must stop.

“The perpetrators of the killings must be brought to justice. Where there is no justice or justice is not seen to be done, there cannot be peace. Where there is no peace, there cannot be development. Any government, state or Federal, that wants peace must work for justice for everyone.

“Our hearts are bleeding, and we are more troubled when we hear of the massacre presently going on in Southern Kaduna. We want all the people suffering the incessant attacks in Southern Kaduna to know that all Catholics in Nigeria are praying for them.

“We call on the Federal and the Government of Kaduna to bring a complete stop to the killing of innocent people. The loss of the life of any Nigerian does not help to further the agenda of any religious ideology or the ambition of any politician.

“There will never be sustained development built upon the bloodshed of innocent people brutally murdered by religious fundamentalists without any recourse to justice for the victims.