Nigeria’s bishops: “Stop the slaughter. Enough is enough.”

Archbishop Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso signed the statement from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria on August 27 with a heavy heart. The document addressed two attacks that occurred days apart. Gunmen entered the Kpenya Mosque in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State on August 21 during Friday prayers and took more than sixty worshippers captive. A week earlier a similar raid on a mosque in Sokoto State left at least thirty-two people dead. In Ukum in Benue State another clash left forty-seven people dead and seventeen wounded. The bishops noted that the violence crosses religious lines and strikes communities in the Middle Belt where north and south meet. The bishops wrote that they stand in firm solidarity with Muslim brothers and sisters in Niger State and across the country. They prayed for the safe release of the abducted worshippers and called any attack on a place of worship an attack on collective humanity. They urged the government to act with enough resolve to stop the carnage and to prosecute perpetrators without regard to status. The statement also spoke directly to those carrying out the raids, asking them to lay down arms because human life belongs to God alone. Aid to the Church in Need has supported dioceses in the region for years. One project rebuilt the village of Adama Dutse after an earlier attack so residents could return instead of remaining in camps. The bishops described the present crisis as a national emergency that touches Nigerians of every faith and requires a response equal to its scale. Cardinal Peter Ebere Okpaleke and other leaders in affected dioceses continue to accompany communities facing repeated displacement.