“Our land becoming symbolism for darkness”, Nigerian Bishop Says of Killings During Easter

A resident told PREMIUM TIMES that heavy shootings began when military personnel engaged the gunmen in a battle.

“The gunmen became enraged and started shooting sporadically. They were in a gun battle with the soldiers from Sunday morning till evening,” the source said.

The gunmen, believed to be members of Eastern Security Network (ESN), the militant wing of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), were said to be on a manhunt for members of Ebubeagu Security Network, who reportedly arrived in the area April 16.

The gunmen, it was learnt, were infuriated by the presence of the members of the security outfit in the area.

Another resident of the area told the local paper, “They killed so many people. It started while we were in the church, but we had to run back home.”

In his April 19 statement, Bishop Ukwuoma finds it regrettable that efforts to restore peace in Nigerian States experiencing insurgency have proved to be futile.

“It seems that despite all our numerous interventions to find solutions to the quagmire that has engulfed our Land, especially our beloved Orlu and environs, including our collective call for prayer for the restoration of peace in the region under the Diocese of Orlu, the violence that has spread through Orlu has continued relentlessly,” the Nigerian Catholic Bishop says.

Narrating events of the fateful day, he adds, “On Easter Sunday, April 17, 2022, while the Diocese, united with Christians all over the world, was commemorating the Holiest Day in the Church's Calendar, the Solemnity of the Easter that celebrates the Resurrection from the dead of our Lord Jesus Christ, which in itself is a protest against death and against all threats and agents of death, a rash of violence swept through the popular banana junction, Amaifeke and Okporo which resulted in the loss of innocent lives and property.”

“The duties of our Pastoral Office as Chief Shepherd compel us to speak up again and condemn this incessant reign of terror in strong and unequivocal terms,” he says.

In his statement, the Local Ordinary of Orlu appeals for an end to the violence he says has engulfed many Nigerian States, posing, “When must all these come to an end? Must this reign of violence, bloodshed, wanton destruction of property that has forced our people to live in constant state of fear and anxiety both at home and on the highway continue unabated?”

“Has enough innocent blood not been shed in our land that until recent times has remained an abode of peace and a safe haven for strangers and all sorts of refugees?” the Bishop further poses, and adds, “Enough is Enough.”

Bishop Ukwuoma notes that the grievances that Nigerians have cannot be solved by unending violence against civilians and underscores the need for the people to find better solutions to their problems.

“Whatever goal anyone wants to achieve is not worth this wanton and indiscriminate shedding of the blood of our innocent citizens. The time has come for all to sheath their swords and to engage in seeking for constructive ways out of this quagmire that is almost threatening our existence as a people and as a society,” the Nigerian Catholic Bishop says.

He continues, “Violence and more brutal force don't appear to be the solution to this problem. In light of the Easter Mystery that celebrates the victory of life over death, of love over hatred, of forgiveness over the thirst for revenge and vengeance, we call upon all state and non-state actors to reexamine their consciences and think of the pain they cause families by their behavior.”

He appeals to the country’s security agencies to use only commensurate and legitimate means to maintain peace and to exercise restraint in the face of provocation.

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The Catholic Bishop also appeals to the people to desist from utterances and actions that he says could lead to violent confrontation.

In his message to those affected by the Easter Sunday violence, the Catholic Bishop who has been at the helm of Orlu Diocese since his Episcopal Ordination in June 2008 says, “We deeply commensurate with all the victims of this sad incident and many such incidents that have become our regular experiences.”

“To those who are dead, we will continue to pray for them to rest in the Lord. May the good Lord accept the shedding of their blood as a vicarious offering for the cleansing of our land!” he says, and adds, “To those who have been left orphans and widows, we continue to extend our pastoral charity and concern and to pray that they be consoled.”

Bishop Ukwuoma notes that the darkness, which he says has engulfed Imo State will be overcome by the Paschal Light of Easter.

“May violence and crime give way to harmony and serenity! May the glory of Easter dispel all darkness in our lives and illuminate us always with the salvific power of the Risen Christ!” the Nigerian Catholic Bishop says in his April 19 statement.