Benue buries slain priests, parishioners
The bodies of two Catholic priests and 17 other parishioners recently killed by gunmen were buried yesterday at Sesugh Maria Pilgrimage ground in Tse-Ayati in Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State.
Our correspondent reports that gunmen had on Tuesday, April 24 attacked the worshippers while they were observing the 5:30am mass at St. Ignatius’ Catholic Church in Mbalom community of Gwer East.
The deceased clergies Rev. Fathers Joseph Gor and Felix Tyolaha - were interred alongside the 17 parishioners at about 2:30 pm amidst tears and grief.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who spoke at the funeral, consoled the Catholic Church as he reiterated the determination of the Federal Government to ensure that justice is served to victims of attacks across the country.
Osinbajo added that the government would rebuild those affected communities.
Governor Samuel Ortom said at least 492 people had so far been killed since New Year just as over 175,000 displaced people are at the various camps across the state.
Ortom said the ranching of livestock was the only way to end farmer/herder crisis in the state as he called for the arrest and prosecution of leaders of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore who he accused of masterminding the killings.
The governor however hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for approving the ongoing military operation in the state and hoped that the attacks would soon end for the displaced people to go back to their communities.
The Tor Tiv, Prof. James Ayatse, urged the people to remain prayerful, united and vigilant so that the plans of the enemy to overrun Benue and take over the land would not be realised.
At least 50 Bishops of the Catholic mission led by the representative of the Pope in Nigeria presided over the mass burial services.
The Arch Bishop of Abuja Diocese, John Cardinal Onaiyekan in his Homily, said the time had come for the people in authority to stop the killings in the country.
Onaiyekan said the killing of people either in churches or mosques is an affront against God, asking, “If we are not safe in our worship centres, where else can we be safe?”
Meanwhile, an earlier submission by the Director of Communications, Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, Rev. Father Moses Iorapuu, indicated that the date of the burial, which was chosen during the bishops’ conference in Rome, coincided with the date the anti-open grazing law passed by the Benue State House of Assembly was signed into law by Governor Samuel Ortom.
Markets, schools and businesses in Makurdi shut down yesterday in honour of the deceased whose burial held in Ayati along MakurdiOtukpo road and about 20 minutes’ drive from the state capital of Makurdi.