The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has launched a scathing critique of the Bola Tinubu-led federal government and the Benue State authorities, accusing both of gross negligence in the face of unabated killings plaguing the state. In a hard-hitting statement signed by its President, Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, the CBCN condemned what it described as the “utterly barbaric” and “cold-blooded” attacks on vulnerable communities, which have left countless Nigerians dead and entire villages in ruins.
With “heavy hearts and deep anguish,” the bishops declared that the bloodshed in Benue State reflects an alarming collapse of state responsibility, calling it “an affront to God, a stain on our shared humanity, and a terrifying reminder of the utter breakdown of security in our land.”
They warned that no amount of infrastructure development or civil service remuneration could mask the deep rot of a government that fails to uphold its most sacred duty — the protection of life.
> “No matter how well a government pays salaries or builds roads, its failure to protect human lives renders its achievements hollow. The sanctity of human life is supreme. It is sacred. It is inviolable,” the statement reads.
The bishops minced no words in labeling the continuing violence a “grave moral and constitutional failure,” and demanded immediate, uncompromising action from both state and federal authorities. They insisted that peace must be restored, justice must be served, and the perpetrators — emboldened by years of impunity — must be swiftly apprehended.
Archbishop Ugorji stressed, “This carnage must end!”
Beyond Benue, the bishops also extended their concern to other disaster-hit regions, particularly flood-ravaged Mokwa in Niger State. They called for urgent and coordinated relief efforts to bring solace and rehabilitation to the displaced, lamenting the suffering of citizens already weighed down by insecurity, economic hardship, and official indifference.
The CBCN further urged security agencies to rise above mediocrity and lethargy, demanding enhanced professionalism and a clear departure from what they termed the “culture of impunity” that continues to embolden criminal elements across the country.
As the cries of anguish from Benue echo louder, the bishops’ powerful message stands as a clarion call to leaders at all levels: governance without protection of life is a betrayal of the people’s trust, and a nation that cannot secure its citizens is on the brink of moral collapse.
PIONEER NEWS 