killings in Benue: Catholics set for nationwide protest on Tuesday

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The 60 dioceses that make up the Roman Catholic community in Nigeria have concluded plans to hold a nationwide protest on May 22, 2018, following a directive by the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN). Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Reverend Dr Alfred Adewale Martins, stated this in an interaction with newsmen last Sunday, to mark the 2018 World Communication Day at Holy Cross Cathedral, Lagos Island. He said the march was to protest the killings of priests and worshippers in Benue State, as well as the general insecurity in the country. According to him, the dioceses will hold a requiem Mass for the two slain priests to coincide with their interment in Makurdi, Benue State. “After the requiem Mass, each diocese will hold a solemn protest to demonstrate the church’s displeasure with the Federal Government over the killing of innocent Nigerians. Here in Lagos Archdiocese, the archbishop and priests will lead other lay faithful on a protest march from St. Leo’s Catholic Church, Ikeja, to the Lagos State government house to meet the governor. “We cannot tell our members to carry arms to protest ourselves. We will only tell them the truth about the situation of things in Nigeria. It is left for them to decide who they want to vote for as their leaders come 2019,” he stated. In a related development, according to messages made available to TribuneChurch, the Catholic Diocese of Osogbo and the Archdiocese of Ibadan also stated that all was set for the protest. The message from the Catholic Diocese of Osogbo, on the protest tagged: March for Life, read: “This is being organised to protest the incessant killings taking place in all parts of our country. We are calling on government to provide adequate security for everyone and take decisive steps in ending the current culture of death through sincere respect for, protection and promotion of human life.”