{"id":52307,"date":"2026-01-20T05:04:50","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T05:04:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/?p=52307"},"modified":"2026-01-20T05:04:50","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T05:04:50","slug":"nigeria-bishops-call-for-prayer-fasting-for-benue-attack-victims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/it\/learn\/nigeria-bishops-call-for-prayer-fasting-for-benue-attack-victims\/","title":{"rendered":"I vescovi nigeriani chiedono preghiera e digiuno per le vittime dell'attacco nel Benue"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n The Catholic bishops in Nigeria\u2019s Onitsha ecclesiastical province have condemned recent attacks in Benue state that reportedly resulted in the death of some 200 people and called for fasting and prayer in honor of the victims. \/ Credit: Nigeria Catholic Network<\/span>\n<\/div>\n

ACI Africa, Jun 20, 2025 \/ 13:41 pm (CNA).<\/p>\n

The Catholic bishops in Nigeria\u2019s Onitsha ecclesiastical province have condemned recent attacks<\/a> in Benue state, which reportedly resulted in the death of some 200 people, and called for fasting and prayer in honor of the victims.<\/p>\n

In a statement issued June 18, the bishops denounced the \u201calmost daily bloodshed\u201d in the West African nation, including the recent gruesome killing of civilians by suspected herdsmen on June 13 and similar attacks on June 15.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are deeply anguished and shocked by this relentless shedding of innocent blood in different parts of our beloved country, Nigeria. We describe these acts as inhuman, barbaric, and a gross violation of the sanctity and dignity of human life,\u201d the bishops said.<\/p>\n

They called on the Nigerian government to fulfill its duty of protecting citizens and demand that the state take urgent action. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe call on the Nigerian government to immediately put an end to the almost daily bloodshed \u2026 and restore security, justice, and peace in Nigeria,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n

The bishops of the Onitsha Archdiocese<\/a> and the Dioceses of Abakaliki<\/a>, Awgu<\/a>, Awka<\/a>, Ekwulobia<\/a>, Enugu<\/a>, Nnewi<\/a>, e Nsukka<\/a> said that as spiritual leaders, they want the people of God under their pastoral care to seek divine intervention amid the violence and killings.<\/p>\n

\u201cGod is our hope and our hope cannot disappoint us,\u201d they said, alluding to the ongoing 2025 Jubilee Year<\/a>, which the late Pope Francis officially launched<\/a> on Christmas Eve 2024 with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter\u2019s Basilica in Rome.<\/p>\n

In their statement, the bishops declared June 20 as a special day of prayer and fasting, particularly for peace in the Benue and Enugu states, and other regions in the West African nation suffering from violence.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe invite all priests and religious in our province to observe the day of fasting \u2026 and dedicate their holy Masses, rosaries, and Divine Office for this noble intention,\u201d the bishops said.<\/p>\n

On June 13, Islamist Fulani militants attacked the town of Yelewata<\/a> in Benue state, killing at least 200 people in what international aid organizations<\/a> have termed the \u201cworst killing spree\u201d in the Nigerian region.<\/p>\n

In the widely condemned attacks, with Pope Leo XIV extending his spiritual closeness<\/a> to victims of the massacre, the attackers reportedly targeted Christians living as internally displaced people (IDPs), setting fire to buildings where families were taking shelter and assaulting with machetes anyone who attempted to flee.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, bishops in Nigeria\u2019s Abuja ecclesiastical province have conveyed condolences to Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe<\/a> Della Diocese of Makurdi<\/a> and the people of Benue state following the killings.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been deeply saddened\u2026 and express our condolences to the bereaved families. These kinds of attacks\u2026 will only intensify fear, hatred, and polarization in society. The attacks against innocent people are a sin against God, who offers life as a divine gift,\u201d the bishops said in a statement issued June 18.<\/p>\n

The bishops, who include the ordinaries of the Abuja Archdiocese<\/a> and its counterparts of Gboko<\/a>, Idah<\/a>, Katsina-Ala<\/a>, Lafia<\/a>, Lokoja<\/a>, Makurdi, and Otukpo<\/a>, call on the \u201crelevant authorities to ensure that the perpetrators of these heinous crimes are brought to justice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Il vescovo della Lagos Archdiocese<\/a> declared Sunday, June 22, a day of prayer for peace and protest against the killings, particularly those in Benue and Enugu states.<\/p>\n

In a letter to institutions in his metropolitan see issued June 18, Archbishop Alfred Adewale Martins<\/a> directed all priests in Lagos to celebrate Mass on June 22 for this intention. <\/p>\n

Additionally, he said, rosary processions are to beheld in church compounds in the evening, led by Marian devotional groups, to invoke the intercession of Mary, Queen of Peace.<\/p>\n

The bishop of the Lagos Archdiocese emphasizes that the day of prayer and protest is a peaceful expression of outrage and a cry for government accountability.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe earth is tired of drinking innocent blood,\u201d he said in his June 18 statement, adding: \u201cThe conviction of being deliberately targeted is thick in the air. People need to be reassured that they are safe and secure, irrespective of where they live within the borders of our country.\u201d<\/p>\n

He joined his voice to that of Pope Leo XIV, who, during his Sunday, June 15, Angelus, condemned<\/a> the killings and prayed for the victims.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe thank our Holy Father \u2026 for calling the attention of the world to the Benue massacre \u2026 Let us all, with one voice, call on the security agencies and governments \u2026 not to look away from the suffering of the people of Benue,\u201d Adewale said.<\/p>\n

Amid the bloodshed and public frustration, Benue state Gov. Hyacinth Iormem Alia<\/a>, the priest whom Bishop William Amove Avenya<\/a> of the Gboko Diocese suspended in May 2022<\/a>, has rejected growing calls for citizens to arm themselves in self defense.<\/p>\n

Speaking in an interview on AIT News on June 17<\/a>, Alia acknowledged that the temptation to take up arms might appear logical. <\/p>\n

\u201cEach time I speak about this, I get very passionate about it. But I\u2019m cautiously guiding citizens,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is not just advisable for you to say we\u2019ll pick out knives, machetes, and sticks and get out there to fight. That\u2019s not good.\u201d<\/p>\n

He continued: \u201cWhere you have people who decide to just wake up because of sentiments, emotions attached to what is happening to us and within us, I think we will be rendering ourselves more vulnerable. So, I wouldn\u2019t advocate self-defense,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Instead, he urged citizens to focus on community policing, which he described as the \u201conly way\u201d to address local security threats effectively. <\/p>\n

The governor emphasized: \u201cI would encourage us to keep calling for community policing. There are conversations around community policing. I\u2019m one of the governors who accepted it. If it is community policing, the full power resides with those who understand the terrain where we are attacked, who know the length and breadth of our borders.\u201d<\/p>\n

Questa storia <\/em>\u00e8 stata pubblicata per la prima volta<\/em><\/a> da ACI Africa, partner giornalistico di CNA in Africa, ed \u00e8 stato adattato da CNA.<\/em><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/264895\/nigeria-bishops-call-for-prayer-fasting-for-benue-attack-victims<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I vescovi cattolici della provincia ecclesiastica di Onitsha, in Nigeria, hanno condannato i recenti attacchi nello stato di Benue che, secondo quanto riferito, hanno causato la morte di circa 200 persone e hanno indetto un periodo di digiuno e preghiera in onore delle vittime. \/ Crediti: Nigeria Catholic Network ACI Africa, 20 giugno 2025 \/ 13:41 (CNA). I vescovi cattolici della Nigeria [\u2026]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":75586,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[100],"tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-52307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-christian-news"],"mb":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/christianpure.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Nigeria-bishops-call-for-prayer-fasting-for-Benue-attack-victims.webp?fit=800%2C500&quality=75&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":55015,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/it\/learn\/nigerian-bishop-displaced-families-in-need-of-spiritual-and-material-help\/","url_meta":{"origin":52307,"position":0},"title":"Nigerian bishop: Displaced families in need of spiritual and material help","author":"Christian Pure Team","date":"Luglio 13, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Bishop Mark Maigida Nzukwein of Nigeria\u2019s Catholic Diocese of Wukari. \/ Credit: Courtesy of Diocese of Wukari, Nigeria Vatican City, Jul 5, 2025 \/ 06:00 am (CNA). 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