Olusegun Ariyo
The Southern Kaduna Christian Leaders Association (SKCLA) has raised the alarm over the incessant killings of clergymen in the area.
Urban Express News Online that Rev. Fr. Sylvester Okechukwu of the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan was recently kidnapped and murdered.
Reacting to the development in a statement issued by its Chairman, Apostle Dr. Emmanuel Nuhu Kure, the association said the act is not only a painful loss to the Church but also a disturbing indication of the worsening insecurity in the country.
The association called on the Federal Government and security agencies to check the menace before it goes out of hand.
“On behalf of SKCLA, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan, especially to the Lord Bishop, Most Rev. Julius Yakubu Kundi, the clergy, and the entire Catholic faithful.
“We stand with you in this moment of grief and pray that God grants you the strength and comfort to bear this tragic loss,” the statement said.
They noted that the incident is part of a troubling pattern of attacks on clergymen in Southern Kaduna.
The Christian leaders added, ‘We painfully recall the abduction and brutal killing of Rev. Fr. John Mark Cheitnum in 2022, the assassination of Pastor Musa Mairiga of ECWA Church, and the numerous cases of kidnappings and killings of Christian leaders across our communities.
“These repeated assaults on men of God raise serious concerns: Is this a deliberate and systematic attack on Christians, particularly priests and pastors?
“We hope that both Federal and State security apparatus will do something drastic to check this before it begins to carry a religious undertone that might undermine the hard-earned peace in the state. They may be criminal, but why are the church clerics the only target?”
