By John Damien Adizie

“A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more” (Jeremiah 31:15). Another voice of lamentation Is heard in the land of Benue! What used to be the nation’s food basket has become a land flowing with blood and tears. A place of worship has now become a house of massacre, where people are no longer secured. More than 70 people were slaughtered here on January 1, 2018.

The mass burial of two Catholic Priests with 15 other faithful was the most painful burial I have ever witnessed. Tears were flowing freely and uncontrollably with no one to console the mourners. I could not control my tears, especially seeing my fellow priests being buried alongside with other faithful. One of the priests, Fr Felix Tyolaha VC has only served two years as a priest.

Almost all Nigerian bishops were represented; the number of priests at the funeral were uncountable. Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe, CMF of Makurdi was in Rome with all the bishops when they received the sad news. The Holy Father, Pope Francis expressed his deep condolences. His Eminence, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Archbishop of Abuja used his well inspired homily to console the people, especially the bereaved families. He called on the government to stand up to their duty by ensuring that the lives of citizen are secured.

Archbishop Augustine Obiora Akubeze, President of Catholic Bishops of Nigeria, expressed the sadness in the heart of the entire Nigerian Catholics. “Today, our hearts are filled with sadness but at the same time with hope. We are sad because the lives of our beloved ones were cut short by the bullets of heartless gunmen. We have hope that their death has not been in vain because Christ whom they served so well here on earth will reward them with eternal life in heaven…” He described the killing as a sacrilegious act: “To kill God’s children in God’s house when praying to God is one of the sacrilegious act any human being can commit.”

He then called on the government to arrest and prose-cute all those who were involved in this malicious act. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo affirmed that the perpetrators of such dastardly crimes do not deserve to live amongst decent people. He appealed to Benue people and Catholics to find a place in their hearts to forgive. Gov. Samuel Ortom, could not understand why anyone could harm a harmless priest. “The priests are not farmers. They were not in the farm. The church where they were holding the mass has no grass. It is therefore curious why priests who do not have a farm…would be killed by herdsmen in the church…” The government and those concerned must be sincere and serious in addressing the issue of insecurity across the nation because any attack against the Church or any citizen is an attack against the nation!