The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, Most Rev Ignatius Kaigama, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to deal decisively with insecurity in Nigeria, which, he said, has developed branches and spreading like a monster across the country.
Describing Nigeria as “a wounded and bleeding nation in need of healing”, he said all security operatives must restrategize in their approach to end the widespread insecurity in the country, while resources allocated to fight crimes in the country must be used honestly and transparently.
Kaigama stated these in an interview with journalists on the sidelines of a Chrism Mass held Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro-Cathedral in Abuja.
“The Chrism Mass gathers us priests as one presbyterate, one family of faith, around the Bishop, to bless the oils of the sick, the catechumens, and sacred Chrism, and for each priest to renew his priestly commitment as “alter Christus” – another Christ”, the cleric explained.
Kaigama said, “When the Catholic Bishop went to see him (President Bola Tinubu). We had to appeal to the President that they must rise to the occasion, and things are well.
“There was a time when it was only Boko Haram; another time it was militant herdsmen. Now, insecurity has diversified. Criminality has developed branches. It is a monster, spreading in all directions. There is a need for restrategizing. Whatsoever the security agencies are doing has worked to an extent, but there is no solution yet.
“There should be an inter-agency corporation. There should be no competition. All the security forces should go all out for criminals. These people are not ghosts.
“I am hoping that a new step will be taken. We insist that good work must be done. The resources voted for security must be used honestly and transparently.”
Earlier while delivering his message, Kaigama said not only are priests in need of healing, but the citizens and Nigeria need it too.
He said, “Our nation needs healing from the festering wounds inflicted by politics, and harsh economic realities that do not only result in crimes and violence but subsequently, to unsound minds of our dear young people. We continue to witness criminality that robs people of their lives which should be sacred.
“The brutal killings in Ondo, Uromi, Bokkos, and Borno; the several killings in Southern Kaduna including the cruel murder of a priest of Kafanchan diocese; the killings of some 16 soldiers recently, and many untold killings show a wounded and bleeding nation in need of healing.
“One can only imagine how many families are left devastated, traumatized, and broken severely. By now, one would think that with the combination of modern technology and non-kinetic methods, criminality would have been greatly reduced in Nigeria. The recurring violence in different parts of the nation is a sign of a nation in need of healing. How criminals known as “unknown gunmen,” kidnappers, terrorists, militant herdsmen, etc., are nearly never always apprehended and decisively dealt with is puzzling.
“They appear, kill, burn houses, and farms, injure people, and disappear, and only later to stage a comeback inflicting more damage than previously, costing innumerable loss of human lives. It appears that we have yet to get the right technology to hunt these criminals down, or is it the absence of goodwill or political will?
“We are not only spiritually sick but also economically, politically, and socially. We need individual and collective healing. Luke 19:41 tells us that as Jesus nears the city of Jerusalem, He pauses and weeps. His tears are not for Himself, but for Jerusalem, for those who will reject Him, for the destruction that will come upon them because they did not recognize the time of God’s visitation.
“What makes God weep for Nigeria? Corruption, banditry, terrorism, bloodshed, etc. Despite the strong presence and the external practice of Christianity and Islam, many, reject the truth of God’s word and choose to conceal it and not bear witness to it; we put people who speak the truth down; we refuse to be instruments of God’s love and mercy to others; we choose to live in sin rather than God’s grace and mercy. We place others on the cross by our hatred and rejection of them.”
