Boko Haram: We’re facing persecution, says Catholic Church
October 6, 2014 by Kayode Idowu
The
Catholic Church in Nigeria on Monday cried out that it was presently
facing great persecution in the three Northeastern states of Borno, Yobe
and Adamawa presently under emergency rule with 154 of its churches in
the state deserted.
The church in an electronic press statement titled: “…While Our People Perish…” by the Director of Social Communication, Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri, Rev. Fr. Gideon Obasogie said, “As a church we are really going through a severe moment of persecution. The ecclesiastical circumscription is facing sharp disintegration”, and “in the last few weeks our churches numbering 154 have been deserted.”
Obasogie said, “While our people perish, inaction, or rather slow action is what we get. Political activities in neighbouring communities are ongoing as though nothing is at stake.
“Lately, three Local Government Areas of Bama, in Borno state and Madagali/Michika in Adamawa State and their chairmen were all sacked. The Shehus and Emirs (un-throned) or overturned, this amounts to what I would rather refer to as (cultural coup), since unknown figures have been placed in such capacities. Thousands displaced, many killed, and others forcibly conscripted. These are pointers that Boko Haram terrorism is not just a northern problem, but a Nigerian problem and in fact a global issue.”
He added: “Common Nigerians who were supposed to celebrate their independence as a free nation, were rather counting their losses and regrets as they had been reduced to the status of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs.
“Where is the freedom? Life is really terribly difficult. We are waiting eagerly to go back home, even as it is obvious that we are going to reconstruct our looted and burnt houses and ecclesiastical structures. We have been sacked for months, sleeping in uncompleted buildings, camps and school premises. We have been absorbed into houses of relations and friends in sixties and seventies.
“Meals time is always difficult and shameful. We have counted weeks rolling into months, must we also count years?? We are waiting to go back home!! Nigerians are waiting to go back to their ancestral home!!! Our minds are greatly troubled, do we think about our status? Or about our family members yet to be connected with ever since we fled our homes? Do we worry about our aged parents who were not so strong to run, they always fed us with words of encouragement and wisdom. do we worry about our sick members, women and infants who had been trapped? Most of whom we heard had been raped and killed. Or worry about the health, education and future of our children? We have got a lot of questions yet to be answered.”
Obasogie lamented that: “It is over 30 days now that our church communities in Gulak, Shuwa, Michika, Bazza were sacked by the callous attacks of the Boko Haram terrorists. While Gwoza and Magadali had been under the tyrannic and despotic control of the terrorists, this is almost the sixtieth day.”
“Our Priests are displaced. This act of territorial capturing in our estimation is sad, heart arching and potentially deadly and dangerous to the territorial integrity and the common good of Nigeria.” He declared.
Obasogie said resumption back to schools closed over five months ago in Borno State and about two months later in the two other states under emergency rule was out of the question.
He said, “Talking about resumption, our children have not been fed and well-clothed so resumption to school is practically out of our calculation. In our opinion if thousands of Nigerian children can’t go to school then in the long run “boko is really haram”. Then their future is at stake, quite bleak. The health condition of our people is truly troubling in their displaced camps.”
The church in an electronic press statement titled: “…While Our People Perish…” by the Director of Social Communication, Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri, Rev. Fr. Gideon Obasogie said, “As a church we are really going through a severe moment of persecution. The ecclesiastical circumscription is facing sharp disintegration”, and “in the last few weeks our churches numbering 154 have been deserted.”
Obasogie said, “While our people perish, inaction, or rather slow action is what we get. Political activities in neighbouring communities are ongoing as though nothing is at stake.
“Lately, three Local Government Areas of Bama, in Borno state and Madagali/Michika in Adamawa State and their chairmen were all sacked. The Shehus and Emirs (un-throned) or overturned, this amounts to what I would rather refer to as (cultural coup), since unknown figures have been placed in such capacities. Thousands displaced, many killed, and others forcibly conscripted. These are pointers that Boko Haram terrorism is not just a northern problem, but a Nigerian problem and in fact a global issue.”
He added: “Common Nigerians who were supposed to celebrate their independence as a free nation, were rather counting their losses and regrets as they had been reduced to the status of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs.
“Where is the freedom? Life is really terribly difficult. We are waiting eagerly to go back home, even as it is obvious that we are going to reconstruct our looted and burnt houses and ecclesiastical structures. We have been sacked for months, sleeping in uncompleted buildings, camps and school premises. We have been absorbed into houses of relations and friends in sixties and seventies.
“Meals time is always difficult and shameful. We have counted weeks rolling into months, must we also count years?? We are waiting to go back home!! Nigerians are waiting to go back to their ancestral home!!! Our minds are greatly troubled, do we think about our status? Or about our family members yet to be connected with ever since we fled our homes? Do we worry about our aged parents who were not so strong to run, they always fed us with words of encouragement and wisdom. do we worry about our sick members, women and infants who had been trapped? Most of whom we heard had been raped and killed. Or worry about the health, education and future of our children? We have got a lot of questions yet to be answered.”
Obasogie lamented that: “It is over 30 days now that our church communities in Gulak, Shuwa, Michika, Bazza were sacked by the callous attacks of the Boko Haram terrorists. While Gwoza and Magadali had been under the tyrannic and despotic control of the terrorists, this is almost the sixtieth day.”
“Our Priests are displaced. This act of territorial capturing in our estimation is sad, heart arching and potentially deadly and dangerous to the territorial integrity and the common good of Nigeria.” He declared.
Obasogie said resumption back to schools closed over five months ago in Borno State and about two months later in the two other states under emergency rule was out of the question.
He said, “Talking about resumption, our children have not been fed and well-clothed so resumption to school is practically out of our calculation. In our opinion if thousands of Nigerian children can’t go to school then in the long run “boko is really haram”. Then their future is at stake, quite bleak. The health condition of our people is truly troubling in their displaced camps.”
No comments:
Post a Comment