Nigeria’s bishops decry corruption, welcome progress in fight against Boko Haram

February 25, 2016

At the conclusion of their recent meeting in Abuja, Nigeria’s bishops welcomed the government’s progress in the fight against the Islamist terrorist organization Boko Haram.

“We recognize the efforts of the Nigerian government, the military and other security agencies in degrading [the] Boko Haram insurgency, especially in the northeastern part of Nigeria,” the bishops stated. “Yet, there are strings of attacks in soft targets such as internally displaced persons camps, markets and parks. We encourage the government and security agencies to do all they can to defeat insurgents and prevent further loss of lives.”

The bishops of Africa’s most populous nation also lamented economic inequality and quoted Pope Francis in denouncing corruption as a “grave sin which cries out to heaven for vengeance.”

“We note with dismay the glaring inequality in our society,” they said. “The poor who have equal rights to benefit from the wealth of the nation have continued to experience lack of basic human needs. We need to diversify our economy and invest more in grassroots economic infrastructure that promote healthy small/medium scale industry and enterprise.”

 

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Further information:

• Catholic Bishops Advocate New Strategies To Counter Socio-Economic Challenges (Catholic News Service of Nigeria)