Bishops urge Boko Haram action [warning: graphic image]

[WARNING: graphic image below]

Nigerian Bishops have called on the Government to stop the mass slaughter of the country’s people by Boko Haram, as reports emerged of the abduction, murder and forced marriages of Catholic children.

In a letter signed by the President of the Bishops’ Conference and Archbishop of Jos, Ignatius Ayau Kaigama, they said that the Islamic terrorist organisation was “brazenly killing innocent, defenceless citizens.”

“Our Government must do more than it is currently doing to safeguard our lives and defend our nation,” the bishops said.

Condemning the violence, which has mainly taken place in the north-east of the country, the bishops said that their most recent plenary meeting had been “daily strained” by horrific reports of the massacre of their fellow Nigerians, as well as “the burning and sacking of whole villages and churches and rectories”.

“Families and individuals are forced to seek places of refuge outside their invaded homes and land,” they added.

In an article in this week’s The Tablet, Bishop Oliver Dashe Doeme, half of whose diocese in northern Adamawa state is now under the control of Boko Haram, spoke of the appalling conditions for those Catholics who remained.

“We have our members who have been killed, those who have been abducted, among whom are men and women as well as children. There are those who are forced into marrying Boko Haram members, some have no houses to lay their heads. Also many have no food to eat nor do they have clothes to wear,” he said.

Man carries victim of bomb attack at market district in Jos, Nigeria. Photo: CNS/Reuters

To date 4,000 people have been killed in the conflict and 650,000 displaced. Some 25 towns and villages in the north-east are now under the control of Boko Haram insurgents.

Above: Weapons seized in military raid in Kano in 2012. Photo: CNS