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Killing Of Catholic Priests: Group Sends Message To Inter-religious Organisation, Slams Buhari

Published

2 years ago

August 15, 2022

Editor

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) on Monday slammed the Federal Government and security agencies over the rising kidnapping and killing of Catholic priests who are now endangered species as they have become soft targets for suspected Fulani bandits who are growing their kidnap-for-ransom business.

HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, called on the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council to speak up loudly and condemn the persecution of Catholics in the country.

The group said it is becoming unbecoming the slaughtering and kidnapping of Catholic priests in the country by bandits who have been identified as Fulani on numerous occasions by abducted Catholic priests freed upon the payment of ransom.

Recall that gunmen on Friday kidnapped a Catholic priest and the Deputy Registrar of Spiritan University Nneochi, Fr Chinedu Nwadike. The Imo indigene was kidnapped on Umunnochi-Ihube road by the Enugu-Okigwe road alongside a seminarian, Emmanuel Nwafor. Their abductors had since established contact with their relations and placed N50m ransom on them just as an unconfirmed report indicates that they have been released after 24 hours.

Reacting, HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “The recurring killings and kidnappings of Catholic priests all over the country is another loud sign of the failure of the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).

“This latest kidnap-for-ransom happened at the checkpoint of Soldiers and is exactly this same nexus between these kidnappers and soldiers that emerged from the disclosure of Prelate of the Methodist Church Nigeria who was recently kidnapped and freed upon payment of N100 million ransom but the President did nothing to arrest the soldiers involved in these daredevil crimes of kidnap-for-ransom and this is why the Igbo youths who volunteered to protect Igboland under the auspices of the Eastern Security Network were crushed by soldiers only for soldiers to actively connive with armed Fulani herdsmen to kidnap travellers along the Lokpanta Highway along the Okigwe/Enugu Federal Highway.

“It is worrisome that despite the killing of over 12 Catholic priests in 2022 and the abduction of scores of Catholic priests all over the country, the present regime, and security agencies have left the ugly trend to continue.

“Aside from the latest abduction of Fr Chinedu Nwadike, Rev. Fr. John Mark Chietnum of Kafanchan Diocese at the parish rectory of Christ the King Catholic Church, in Kaduna State was abducted and killed in July after bandits abduct him and other priests.

“Bandits have also kidnapped and killed the Chaplain of the Catholic community of the Kaduna State Polytechnic and chairman of the Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests Association, Kaduna State Chapter, Vitus Borogo.

“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.

“Rev. Fr. Alphonsus Uboh of St. Pius X Parish Ikot Abasi in the Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State was also kidnapped.

“Two reverend fathers and their domestic staff were also hijacked from the rectory of their Parish in Katsina under Sokoto Diocese which is headed by Right Reverend Doctor Mathew Hassan-Kukah who has recently come under massive verbal threats by Islamists.

“Earlier, bandits kidnapped the Prelate of the Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence, Samuel Kanu Uche, and he wasn’t released until he paid a ransom of N100m. In fact, he revealed the identity of his kidnappers as “Fulani herdsmen” whose “cattle were very close” to where he was kept. He also indicted the military when he said where he was kept wasn’t far from a military checkpoint.

“Terrorists killed over 40 Catholics during a Sunday service in Owo, Ondo State, in June. Scores of others were injured in the ambush, which is one of the gruesome terrorist attacks on Catholics in the country.

“HURIWA calls on security agencies in the internal security institutions all headed by Muslims to be guided by conscience and put an end to the targeted persecution of Catholics in the country.

“The Nigeria Inter-Religious Council must also rise to the occasion and collectively condemn the heinous action. Muslim clerics must not keep quiet but must speak out and condemn the massacre of Catholics by Fulani bandits.

“Conscience and love for humanity should be above religious sentiments. Crime is crime and should not be deodorised.

“HURIWA will today send out a petition to the Roman Catholic Pontiff Pope Francis abd World leaders for the umpteenth time to intervene to stop the persecution of Christians in Nigeria by armed Jihadists kidnappers.”

Related Topics:Buhari Catholic Priest HURIWA

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Why Nnamdi Kanu Said Nigerian Courts Can’t Try Him – Lawyer

Published

27 mins ago

May 25, 2024

Editor

Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, the Special Counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, the detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra has revealed the reason why he said no Nigerian court can try him.

Recall that Kanu on Monday, said no court in Nigeria can try him, after the Federal High Court, Abuja, dismissed his request for bail or to be moved from the Department of State Services custody to a prison or house arrest.

The IPOB leader also noted that any court that attempted to try him would be committing terrorism.

He said, “Terrorism Prohibition and Prevention Act said I cannot be tried in Nigeria. That is the law of Nigeria. I can never be tried in any court of law in Nigeria. That is what the law says.

“Anyone standing in trial or coming to try me is a terrorist. That is what the law says, not me. Section 2, Subsection 3F of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, that is what it says.

“Any court continuing to try me is committing an act of terrorism.”

Ejimakor, via an X post on Saturday, backed his client and explained that Kanu made the assertion on Monday because there are two international tribunal decisions against his arrest.

“When Mazi Nnamdi Kanu says that he’s not subject to trial, here’s one reason: There are 2 international tribunal decisions against his arrest, detention and trial which are binding on Nigeria by virtue of Section 12 of the Constitution,” Ejimakor wrote.

“And this is just one reason. There is more,” he added.

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Trouble Looms As Abba Yusuf Orders Arrest Of Deposed Kano Emir, Bayero

Published

1 hour ago

May 25, 2024

Editor

Barely hours after reinstating HRH Muhammadu Sanusi II as Emir of Kano, the Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has ordered the immediate arrest of the former Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero.

A statement issued by the spokesperson to the Governor, Sanusi Bature, said the Governor gave the order for the arrest of the former Emir for creating tension in the state.

The former Emir was smuggled into Kano City last night in an attempt to forcefully return to the palace two days after being deposed by the Governor.

Bature confirmed that the new Emir, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, arrived at the palace in the company of the Governor, the Deputy Governor, the Speaker of the State Assembly, and other top government functionaries at about 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, 25th May 2024.

“As the Chief Security Officer of the state, His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has directed the Commissioner of Police to arrest the deposed Emir with immediate effect for disturbing public peace and attempting to destroy the relative peace the state enjoys,” the statement reads.

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Army Dismisses Four Soldiers Over Killing Of NSCDC Officer

Published

12 hours ago

May 25, 2024

Editor

The Niger State Police Command has paraded four dismissed soldiers arrested over the killing of an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Kingsley Chimetalo.

Spokesperson of the command, SP Wasiu Abiodun, who disclosed this in a statement on Friday, May 24, 2024, said the Nigerian Army court-martialed and dismissed the soldiers before handing them over to the police.

According to the PPRO, Kingsley Chimetalo was stabbed to death by the suspect during an altercation with a team of NSCDC officers who were on stop and search in Bida Local Government Area of the state.

“On 09/03/2024 at about 1820hrs, a team of NDLEA officers were on stop and search at Ramat Junction, Bida while two suspected soldiers who were not on uniform, on a motorcycle got to the point and they were intercepted by the NDLEA team,” the statement read.

“The team requested for identification, but the suspected soldiers could not establish a proper means of identification, and their bag was searched but nothing incriminating was found.

“In the course of this, there was an argument and altercation, and after the search, the suspected soldiers left the scene and returned with an additional men reinforced to the scene for an alleged attack.

“Unfortunately during the fight, an officer of the NDLEA named Kingsley Chimetalo was stabbed at the back with a Jack-knife by one of the suspects and his rifle was taken away.

“The injured officer was taken to FMC Bida where he later gave up the ghost and confirmed dead. In the course of the investigation by the Police operatives attached to ‘A’ Division Bida, the officer’s rifle was later recovered in a nearby bush where it was dumped without a magazine.

“During the painstaking investigation in collaboration with 18 Brigade, Nigeria Army Bida, six soldiers were later identified, court martialed and dismissed, while two escaped.

“The four suspects are: Sani Munzani 24yrs of Kano State, Abubakar Auwalu 26yrs of Kano State, Abubakar Sani 23yrs of Kebbi State, Muazu Hassan 22yrs of Edo State

“The four suspects were handed over to the Police on 20/05/2024 for prosecution, while Sani Munzani confessed to the stabbing of the deceased.

“All suspects are under investigation in SCID Minna and will be charged to court for prosecution as soon as investigation is concluded.”