Catholic Bishops call for prayers to end killings
The Catholic Bishops of the Archdiocese of Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province have called for prayers from the faithful in the area to end bloodshed and killings in Nigeria.This came as the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion Diocese of Amichi, has lamented that Nigeria, as one of the very few nations of the world where almost every mineral resource is deposited in large quantities, has not utilized them positively for its overall development.
The Catholic Bishops, comprising all the Dioceses in Anambra, Enugu, and Ebonyi states, had already declared Friday, June 20 as a special day of prayer and fasting.
In a letter signed by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Onitsha, Most Rev. Valerian Okeke, who is the Chairman, and Bishop of Abakaliki and Most Rev. Peter Chukwu, who is the Secretary, the bishops condemned the killings across the country, particularly, the recent ones in Yelawata, Benue State and Eha-Amufu in Enugu State.
The letter titled, ‘Urgent prayer request to stop the bloodshed in Nigeria’, described the killings as an inhumane, barbaric, and gross violation of the sanctity and dignity of human life.
It noted that in many parts of Nigeria today, many people are living in constant fear due to insecurity.
The letter read in part: “We, the Catholic Bishops of Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province condemn in strongest terms, the recent gruesome massacre of our brothers and sisters in Benue State by the so-called herdsmen on Friday night, June 13, 2025.
“We also received credible information that similar senseless attacks and killings also took place in some parts of Eha-Amufu in Enugu State on Sunday, June 15, 2025. We are deeply anguished and shocked by this relentless shedding of innocent blood in different parts of our beloved country, Nigeria.
“We describe these acts as inhuman, barbaric, and gross violation of the sanctity and dignity of human life. In many parts of Nigeria today, many people are living in constant fear due to insecurity.
