Source: Church of Nigeria News
Ibadan, Feb. 24, 2006- The carnage of violence that has besieged the nation this past week has led many religious leaders to ask the reason behind the avoidable mayhem.
In separate interviews, Anglican Bishops, whose areas of jurisdiction witnessed religious riots, called for an immediate cessation to further killings.
They also want government to address the issue of religious intolerance.
On last count several states in the country including Borno, Bauchi, Gombe, Delta and Anambra have witnessed varying decrees of mayhem and anarchy.
According to security reports the number of dead persons has risen to over 100 around the country.
Bishop of Gombe, the Rt. Rev Henry Ndukuba appealed to Muslim and Christian leaders to rise-up and speak to the people.
He called on traditional rulers and all well meaning Nigerians to wade in and put-out the raging fire, ‘ if not it is going to engulf the entire nation.’
According to him uneasy calm has returned to the state after 3 Christian worship centres where attacked including 2 Baptist churches and an ECWA church.
He stated that many houses were burnt and families have been displaced b! ut he expressed thanks to God that no loss of lives was recorded in the state.
On the motive behind the riots in Gombe State, the Bishop debunked the statement credited to the state government on the reasons behind the incident.
The state government reportedly said the demonstration was not a protest against the Denmark cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad that Muslims regard as blasphemous.
They said the protest was sparked by a love affair between two persons that ended in fracas.
“Even if we are to believe their statement, why should it result in the burning down of churches,” the Bishop asked.
He described the reprisal attacks in Onitsha and other parts of the country as quite regrettable.
Bishop on the Niger in Anambra state the Rt. Rev Ken Okeke, is saddened by the! scenes on the streets of Onitsha, particularly the gory sight of dead human bodies.
“What triggered off the reaction is what we cannot explain. For many years people of Onitsha have always been calm in the face of provocation. “
“This incident, tells us that we have a lot of work to do for people to be more understanding that Nigeria is a peculiar country, where there is a huge mixture of people living in harmony.
In Niger Delta, Bishop Edafe Emamezi of the Missionary Diocese of Western Izon, warned of a potential conflagration in the oil fields of the Niger-delta region.
He advised government to respond to the incident of the hostage of 9 oil workers by members of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) with wisdom.
On the use of bombs by members of the Nigeria armed forces, Emamezi said government should consider the plight of innocent citizens of the community who are not part of the hostage takers.
The Missionary Diocese of Western Izon is in the heart of the Niger-Delta.
The Bishop requested the government to look at the Niger-delta community issues critically and respond to her niggling problems.
(Church of Nigeria News)