Paul KeenanPrelate speaks out after massacres
The president of Nigeria’s Catholic conference has expressed disappointment with the failure of the security services in his country to effectively tackle Boko Haram.
Following one of the worst weeks of violence meted out by the Islamist group on isolated communities in the northern portion of Nigeria, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama said it was now clear that the military “have not yet managed to get to the bottom of the problem”.
“Unfortunately, the authorities have so far failed to fulfil their task of ensuring peace and security to Nigerians in every area of the country,” the archbishop told the Fides news agency, adding that this failure was a reality “despite the efforts and significant resources invested to combat these fanatical groups”.
Aftermath
The archbishop was speaking in the immediate aftermath of an attack on the village of Izghe in Borno state in which at least 100 people were massacred by men dressed in military uniforms, and who, according to eyewitnesses, chanted Allahu Akbar (God is Great) as they mowed down their victims. Just days later, the northern border town of Bama, also located in Borno, suffered a five-hour attack by militants, including suicide bombers. This attack came just one day after a military spokesman declared that the army “is winning the war against terror”.