By PJ Usanga
Joining their voices with other bishops across Nigeria, the Catholic Bishops of the Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province have condemned the latest wave of violent killings in parts of the country, calling on the Federal Government to take immediate and decisive action to stop the ongoing bloodshed ravaging the nation.
The bishops’ statement, dated June 18, 2025, comes in the wake of a gruesome massacre reported in Benue State on Friday night, June 13, and similar attacks in Eha-Amufu, Enugu State, on Sunday, June 15.
“We, the Catholic Bishops of the Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province, condemn in the strongest terms the recent gruesome massacre of our brothers and sisters in Benue State,” the statement read. “We are deeply anguished and shocked by this relentless shedding of innocent blood in different parts of our beloved country, Nigeria.”
In the statement jointly signed by Most Rev. Valerian Okeke, Metropolitan Archbishop of Onitsha and Chairman of the Provincial Bishops Conference, and Most Rev. Peter Nworie Chukwu, Bishop of Abakaliki and Secretary, the bishops issued a direct appeal: “We therefore call on the Nigerian Government to immediately put an end to the almost daily bloodshed in different parts of our country. We also demand that the government rise to its principal duty of restoring security, justice, and peace in Nigeria.”
Calling on the government to fulfill its constitutional responsibilities, the bishops described the attacks as “inhuman, barbaric, and a gross violation of the sanctity and dignity of human life,” emphasizing that no society can thrive under such persistent insecurity. They decried the situation in which “many people are living in constant fear” and insisted that the primary responsibility of any government is the protection of its citizens.
The prelates stressed that the Nigerian people can no longer afford to remain silent or passive in the face of unchecked violence. They called upon citizens—especially the faithful within the province—to unite in prayer and fasting as a means of spiritual intervention.
In response to the violence, the bishops declared Friday, June 20, 2025, as a special day of prayer and fasting throughout the province, with a particular focus on Benue and Enugu States, as well as other regions affected by similar tragedies.
“We invite all priests and religious in our province to observe next Friday, June 20, 2025, as a special day of prayer and fasting,” the bishops urged. “We also pray for those who have lost their lives in these circumstances. We pray that God will receive their souls and console their families.”
All priests and religious are further encouraged to offer their Holy Masses, Rosaries, and Divine Offices on that day for the intention of peace and security in Nigeria. The bishops appealed to the faithful to entrust the situation to divine providence: “God is our hope, and ‘our hope does not disappoint us’ (Rom. 5:5).” They invoked the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, entrusting the nation to her maternal care: “We appeal to Our Blessed Mother, Mary, Queen of Peace and Queen of Nigeria, to intercede for our country.”
