Abuja, Nigeria, Jan 18, 2018 / 21:08 pm
Nigeria's bishops challenged government authorities Tuesday to resolve the country's violent disputes, especially after recent attacks by Fulani herdsmen have resulted in over 100 deaths just this year.
A Jan. 16 statement from the Nigerian bishops' conference focused on clashes between herdsmen and farmers; a spate of kidnappings; and the large number of internally displaced persons and refugees.
"The recent mass slaughter of unarmed citizens by these armed herdsmen in some communities in Benue, Adamawa, Kaduna and Taraba States has caused national shock, grief and outcry" read the statement.
"We believe that, if there is some degree of political will, our public authorities can take adequate steps to put an end to these human tragedies."
Signed by Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Jos and Bishop William Avenya of Gboko, the president and secteary of the Nigerian bishops' conference, respectively, the statement also urged officials to attend to increased kidnappings causing fear among citizens and humanitarian issues occurring in refugee camps.