He added, “People are told that if they see someone who they are not so sure of, they need to alert the security personnel.”
On top of all the security arrangements that have been put in place to keep Christians in Nigeria safe, the people trust God to provide them with utmost security, Alumuku said.
“The Psalmist says that unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain,” he said. “We don't have arms; we don't have ammunition. There is nothing more that we can do than to do this. We see this as a major persecution of the Church.”
Alumuku provided background on the abductions and killings in Nigeria, and noted that insecurity in Africa’s most populous nation did not started recently.
More in Middle East - Africa
“Insecurity in Nigeria has been growing in the last 10 years,” he said, adding,“The international community only heard about it when militants abducted more than 250 schoolgirls. About 100 of those girls are still unaccounted for.”
Fr. Alumuku said that there is “an Islamization agenda in Nigeria” which, if not tamed, will extend to all other African countries.
“This is an African agenda. It is not just a Nigerian agenda. If it has not reached your country, just know that it is coming. They (Islamists) are only using Nigeria to test the waters. If they can succeed in Nigeria, then it is easy elsewhere. If they can overrun Nigeria and make it an Islamic state, with its huge population… they can succeed in any other African state,” he asserted.
The priest explained that the Fulanis who are terrorizing farmers in the country were first brought in from neighboring countries to vote for their tribesman, with the promise that they would be given land to settle. But on being denied the land, they settled in forests, whence they attack innocent civilians.
Alumuku also addressed the 2023 Nigerian general election, and expressed confidence that a new administration would turn around the insecurity in the West African nation.
“God is in control. God is our hope. God is in charge of all and he sees the minds of men. He does not allow that things in Nigeria go out of hand,” the priest said.
“For us who trust in God, we know that this situation will come to an end, be it through politics or through the leadership,” he said. “we know that by the end of this administration, the situation will improve dramatically.”
(Story continues below)
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a master of arts degree in digital journalism from the Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications and a bachelor’s degree in linguistics, media, and communications from Kenya’s Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.