Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA) on Monday, lamented the abduction of Christian clerics in the country, and noted that powerful forces bent on causing anarchy were behind the atrocities.
HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, urged the security agents to put an end to the persecution of Christian clerics.
The group described as unfortunate and condemnable, the abduction of the Prelate of the Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence, Samuel Kanu Uche and the rash of violent kidnappings of Priests of the Roman Catholic Church some of whom have ended up dying as hostages.
The respected cleric of the Methodist Church was abducted over the weekend along Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State. He was kidnapped alongside Rt. Rev. Dennis Mark, the Methodist Bishop of Owerri and the Prelate’s Chaplain by gunmen.
Also, just this month, Rev. Fr. Alphonsus Uboh of St. Pius X Parish IkotAbasi in the Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State was kidnapped.
Rev. Fr. Uboh’s abduction occurred barely three weeks after the Founder of Solid Rock Kingdom Church, Apostle John Okoriko was abducted by gunmen in his church premises at Ibekwe Akpan Nya in the same Mkpat Enin LGA.
In March, Reverend Father Joseph Bako of the St John Catholic Church, Kudenda in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State was kidnapped and he died in the kidnappers’ den. Two Reverend father and their domestic staff were hijacked from the rectory of their Parish in Katsina under Sokoto Diocese which is headed by Right Reverend Doctor Mathew Hassan-Kukah who has of recent come under massive verbal threats by Islamists.
Lamenting the spate of the abduction of clerics, the Christian Association of Nigeria said non state actors now target clerics engaged in their pastoral duty across the country.
CAN also disclosed that no fewer than 10 clerics have been kidnapped in 2022 alone. While ransom were paid to secure the release of some, others didn’t make it out alive.
Reacting, HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “The menace of kidnapping has again showed the failure of Nigeria’s current security architecture. HURIWA expressed shock that the incidents of kidnappings are increasing and governors and the Federal Government lack the capacity to think through alongside their legislative houses to come out with the best legal and crime fighting approaches to tackle these problems.
“The kidnappings of clerics has been escalated and it seems there is a well-crafted agenda to destroy organised religion of Christianity by some forces bent on establishing anarchy in Nigeria and the security forces seem to have collapsed under the heavy weight of crass incompetence, lack of professionalism and indiscipline and the rudderless political leadership structures in Nigeria.
“The ugly incidents have shown President Muhammadu Buhari’s incompetence and absent mindedness towards breakdown of law and order. His attitude compounded the situation because whilst President Buhari is constantly flying around the world, his security chiefs that are grossly incompetent are simply left to watch armed non-state actors such as terrorists, kidnappers mass killers to continue to hold Nigerians hostage.
“Why has the Federal Government and the National Assembly still refused to create state police and restructure the police?
“Why is there no security task force on kidnappings made up all the segments of the security forces to confront kidnappings as a united front and then for the states to activate judicial mechanisms for rapid trials of kidnappers with the government’s introducing death penalty for kidnappings and for governors to sign the death warrants so kidnappers are decisively eradicated? Do we have a National security Adviser and a functional security think-tank and why are Nigerians kidnapped and held for upward of three Months just as the federal government look on in helplessness? What then is the essence of government if armed non state actors can overpower, overwhelmed and subdue organised and well funded security architecture?
“There is more to it than meets the eye in the kidnapping of clerics and HURIWA sternly warn security agencies to stop the trend before the descent to full anarchy. Who really is afraid of the spread of Christianity in the North and across Nigeria?
