Cardinal laments resurgence of terrorism, says Nigerians have lost confidence in government

January 15, 2018

Nigeria’s leading prelate told the Italian bishops’ news agency that the “great majority” of Nigerians have lost confidence in the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, who assumed office in 2015.

The nation of 186 million is the most populous in Africa. Nigeria is 50% Muslim and 40% Christian, with 10% retaining indigenous beliefs. Since 2013, 2.3 million people have fled their homes because of the activity of the jihadist terrorist organization Boko Haram.

“We are all under attack, Christians, Muslims,” Cardinal John Onaiyekan of Abuja said in an interview with the SIR news agency. “All these attacks on churches, mosques, armed robbery, kidnappings, demonstrate that we have a government that is not stable and cannot guarantee security.”

“Not only Christians are attacked, also Muslims,” he added. “Even when churches are attacked, it cannot be interpreted as an attack by Muslims against Christians,” but rather as the work of “fanatics, criminals.”

 

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Further information:

• Nigeria: card. Onaiyekan (Abuja), “cristiani e musulmani, siamo tutti sotto attacco” (SIR)