As well meaning Nigerians continue to condemn the gruesome massacre of innocent worshippers in Ondo state, on Sunday, a Catholic priest in Benue state, Rev. Fr. Moses Iorapuu, has described the killings as an affront to the church and the people of God.
Iorapuu who condemned the act in totality urged the government to act quickly and bring culprits to book or be ready to be faced with reactions that will be uncontrollable.
The entire country was taken back, Sunday morning when reports went viral that some gunmen suspected to be herdsmen of Fulani origin, attacked St Francis Catholic Church at Owaluwa, Owo, Ondo State.
The reports said the gunmen detonated dynamite at the church premises and started shooting directly at church members killing over 30 people while many others sustained gunshot injuries
Iorapuu, the Vicar General Pastoral and Director of Communications, Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, said “The killings, again, bring to fore, the volatility of the situation in the country.
“We have been crying that there is no safety for anyone and the responsibility of any government is to provide security for lives and property, but here the sacred chambers, the hallowed chambers, the holy sanctuary of God’s house is violated in such a flagrant manner where unidentified gunmen will enter a house of worship, in a church, during Mass and massacre hundreds of people.
“It tells us that if God does not intervene and if we do not wake up, we will be heading towards a principe that there would be no return.
Describing the killing as one, too many, Fr. Iorapuu lamented that situations where people were kidnapped and massacred in their homes, on their farms and in the market place have now moved to the church.
He noted that with this happening on the day of Pentecost, when all christians mark the birth of christianity, “this is an affront against the church and the people of God.”
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He challenged anyone with a contrary evidence to this to bring it on saying “if not, the government should act and act quickly because if people are pushed this far, the reaction will be uncontrollable and we pray that our people are able to be guide by the love of Christ, the love of neighbour, we pray for our enemies, those who hurt us and even those who kill us.
“Our God is a living God and by the power of the holy spirit, where the apostles on this day, were no longer cowards, I pray that we get out of our tepidity and stand for our rights and defend our rights and if the government fails to defend us, we have a responsibility to defend ourselves.”
Fr. Iorapuu called for water tight security around worship centers across the country saying, “this is the most clarion call for us to wake up now and ensure that security around parish houses, worship houses is secured and water tight.
While also lamenting the insecurity around schools in the country, the clergy stated that “If this is happening in far away Ondo state, that means we are encircled by our own enemies and the devil is right at our door.
“The worrying development where the church is continually attacked leaves one wondering who is behind this and why are churches being attacked and not other worship houses.
“So I think the government needs to act and act quickly so that we have confidence in our government, in our security agencies, in our security agents and in Nigeria also.”
