AFRICA/NIGERIA – Still no news of the kidnappings at St. Mary’s School; the Bishops say “the situation is truly worrisome but it is not genocide”

Abuja – “Unfortunately, there is no new information about the fate of the hostages,” Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna of Kontagora told Fides. In his diocese, 315 students and staff members of St. Mary’s Catholic School were kidnapped by an armed group on November 21. Fifty students managed to escape, leaving 265 people currently in their hands .
The grave insecurity in Nigeria was the subject of a statement by the Nigerian Bishops’ Conference. According to Bishop Yohanna, “the statement describes the real situation of what is happening in the country over the years. I think there’s a lack of political will on the part of those in authority to address issues effectively.” In their statement, the bishops affirm: “The deplorable security situation in our nation Nigeria and the ongoing discourse heating up the nation’s fragile social and religious climate are truly worrisome. More deeply painful is the persistent violence that has claimed countless lives, destroyed homes, and displaced families,” the statement from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria continues. “It is a matter of grave concern that several predominantly Christian communities, particularly in the Northern and middle belt regions of the country, have come under repeated and brutal attacks, resulting in heavy casualties and the tragic loss of many Christian lives,” the Bishops’ Conference emphasizes, denouncing that “in some instances, there have been disturbing reports of delayed or withheld security responses, giving the impression of possible collusion or a lack of will to act.” However, the bishops reject the accusations of “genocide” against Nigerian Christians, primarily leveled from outside Nigeria. “Yet, mindful of the sacred dignity and inestimable worth of every human life, we are equally deeply concerned that Muslims and many other innocent citizens of diverse ethnic backgrounds have also been victims of this same cruelty that continues to desecrate our common humanity,” they stated. According to CBCN, this is a “national crisis,” made clear by recent events. In this context, they cite “the abduction of 38 members of the Christ Apostolic Church in Kwara State, who were later released , the abduction of twenty-five young girls in Kebbi State, thirteen female farmers in Borno State, two hundred and sixty-five students and their teachers in Papiri, Niger State, brutal killing of more than seventy persons in Southern Taraba and the displacement of thousands there, attest to the “troubling scale of the security crisis.” “These tragedies, together with the killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba and many security personnel, reveal the extent to which criminality has penetrated our national life,” the bishops emphasized. In light of all this, the CBNC reminds the government of its responsibility, enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, to guarantee the safety of all citizens, to put an end to the violence, and to bring those responsible for these heinous crimes to justice.

Read original article