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By Myke Agunwa
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has accused the Federal Government of failing in its constitutional duty to protect citizens and warning that continued attacks on predominantly Christian communities in the North and Middle Belt have given “credence to allegations of genocide.”
In a five-page communiqué signed by CBCN President, Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji (Archbishop of Owerri), and Secretary, Most Rev. Donatus Ogun (Bishop of Uromi), the bishops declared that the “deplorable security situation” and “persistent violence that has claimed countless lives” can no longer be met with excuses or silence.
Invoking Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, the CBCN demanded that government at all levels “urgently and decisively” end impunity, investigate allegations of delayed intervention, prosecute perpetrators, and secure the immediate release of all abductees, including the remaining schoolchildren from Kontagora and the girls taken in Kebbi and Borno.
According to the Bishops, “Several predominantly Christian communities, particularly in the Northern and Middle Belt regions, have come under repeated and brutal attacks, resulting in heavy casualties and the tragic loss of many Christian lives. 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.”
They highlighted the near-total destruction of entire villages, the occupation of ancestral lands by armed groups, and continued attacks on displaced persons even inside IDP camps, saying such “prolonged unbearable conditions” have deepened despair and fuelled accusations of systematic extermination.
While acknowledging that Muslims and citizens of other ethnic backgrounds have also been killed, they insisted the pattern of targeting Christian communities cannot be ignored.
The communiqué listed fresh atrocities that illustrate the crisis to include: Abduction of worshippers in Kwara State; Kidnapping of 25 young girls in Kebbi State; Seizure of 13 female farmers in Borno State; Abduction of 265 students and teachers from Papiri, Niger State; Killing of over 70 persons and displacement of thousands in Southern Taraba; The assassination of Brigadier General Musa Uba and other security personnel.
The church leaders lamented that “Criminality has penetrated every layer of our national life,” warning that attacks on schools, farms and highways now threaten the very foundations of family life, education and food security.
The bishops accused some northern state governments of persistent violation of the rights of Christian minorities, citing: “The denial of land for the construction of churches, particularly within federal institutions, and the destruction of Christian places of worship, especially at the height of Boko Haram’s insurgency, are matters that demand urgent and decisive government action. The overreach of Sharia Courts in some states poses serious constitutional concerns, as it threatens Nigeria’s secular character and infringes on the rights of Christian minorities”.
Recalling the lynching of Deborah Samuel Yakubu in Sokoto over alleged blasphemy in 2022, the bishops renewed their demand for justice, saying impunity in such cases “undermines the rule of law and endangers the rights of all citizens.”
Describing Nigeria’s secular status as under threat, they insisted that religious pluralism must foster unity and mutual respect rather than division and suspicion.
The CBCN ended on a note of solidarity with Nigerians’ resilience and a call for collective responsibility.
“We salute the courage of our people. Rather than divisive arguments about who has suffered more, let us stand together in defending the sacredness of every human life,” the bishops admonished.
They prayed for healing and restoration through the intercession of Our Lady Queen and Patroness of Nigeria.