By Chidi Nkwopara
Church leaders have expressed concern over the increasing cases of violent persecution of Christians in parts of Nigeria, saying the disturbing trend has worsened over the past two decades.
The Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty, and the Archbishop of Owerri, Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, raised the concern at the weekend in Owerri during their respective addresses at the 18th National Conference of the Association of Papal Knights and Medalists in Nigeria (APKMN).
In his address, Crotty said Christians had suffered persecution in different forms throughout Nigeria’s history, but noted that violent forms of persecution had become more pronounced in the last two decades. “In the history of Nigeria, Christians have suffered persecution in different forms, and this disturbing phenomenon has increased within the last two decades, especially the violent forms of persecution.
“In recent years, Christians have been targeted by kidnappers, and many lay faithful and priests have been kidnapped.
“Many of those kidnapped were killed, and others were released after ransoms were paid. Thousands of churches have been attacked and destroyed since the beginning of Boko Haram and the activities of herdsmen in more recent years,” he said.
The Apostolic Nuncio also alleged that Christians in some parts of the country, particularly the North and North-Central regions, had been denied legitimate access to land for the construction of places of worship.
“Very often the issue of persecution of Christians in Nigeria is politicised and approached with some sort of bias and religious sentiments.
“There is no doubt that people of other faiths have also been affected by insecurity in Nigeria. However, we cannot deny the fact that Christians have been specifically targeted in some parts of the country.
“Our concern should be the necessary actions to take in order to bring the unnecessary killing of all citizens to an end, whether they are Christian or of other faiths,” he said.
He described the conference theme, “Strategic Engagements in Addressing Christian Persecution in Nigeria: Toward Coordinated Response”, as timely, stressing the need for collective action across religious and community lines.
In his address, Archbishop Ugorji said the human and material consequences of the country’s insecurity remained alarming, irrespective of whether the crisis was viewed as targeted persecution of Christians or a complex socio-economic conflict.
“Ultimately, whether the crisis is perceived as a targeted persecution of Christians or a complex socio-economic conflict, the human and material toll is undeniable.
“It is deeply troubling that tens of thousands have lost their lives, millions remain internally displaced, the education of thousands of children is truncated, and millions of naira have been lost through destruction of property and paying ransom,” he said.
Ugorji called on the government to strengthen its responsibility to protect citizens and hold perpetrators of violence accountable, irrespective of their religious affiliations.
“We have to state loud and clear that it is the responsibility of government to prevent human rights violations, protect vulnerable populations, whether they are Christians or Muslims, and ensure accountability for crimes against law-abiding citizens.”
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