GBOKO APRIL 25, 2017 (CISA) – Bishop William Avenya of the Catholic Diocese of Gboko has condemned the Nigeria Army for raiding his home and parish in Gboko.
Soldiers allegedly working on the instruction of the federal government on April 23 raided the home of the bishop claiming to be searching for weapons.
“Today my house and entire parish was turned inside out by the military in search of weapons. The search as barbaric, diabolical and an attack on all Christians,” he told Naij.com April 23.
He slammed the government for being biased and trying to divide the country claiming the search was not fair particularly to Christians.
“This is what happens when you have a one-sided government in place. Would they have done this to an imam or the mosque? The soldiers in the country are one sided. Why are they trying to divide the very country they are called to defend on religious lines?” he said.
He further expressed concern that the military was not doing enough to contain Fulani herdsmen wreaking havoc in the region and instead was resorting to targeting wrong people and places.
“The Fulani herdsmen go about with heavy weapons killing innocent people and never a day has any one of them being harassed by the military. There are instances where the military have even assisted them to carry out their attacks on defenceless citizens,” he said.
Armed Fulani herdsmen have continued to wreak havoc in Benue state killing dozens. This has prompted the military to conduct search operations on different parts of the State.
The House of Representatives passed a resolution in late March calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the immediate disarmament of Fulani herdsmen in the State.
