NUJ, Rights Commission, others denounce Anambra Church attack

The killing of worshippers at Saint Philip’s Catholic Church Ozubulu in Anambra State Sunday morning further raises concern over Nigeria’s gradual drift to anarchy, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has said.

A statement signed by the NUJ National Secretary, Shuaibu Usman Leman,

Said, “The attack is unequivocally detestable and must be addressed with all the seriousness it deserves and swiftly too… The attack was unwarranted, unprovoked and needless. It can only be described as the handiwork of an emotionally hardened person or individual of unstable mind.”

The NUJ said the level of insecurity of life and property in the country kept rising, and called on the nation’s security agencies to rise up to their billings to arrest the trend.

Also, the acting Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission, Mrs.

Oti Ovrawah has said there is no justification for the taking of lives as the sanctity of life of everyone living in Nigeria is important.

While calling on the security agents to step up their intelligence gathering techniques to always nip such killings in the bud, Mrs. Ovrawah urged them to urgently fish out the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

She said as the Commission continued to play its statutory role of promotion and protection of human rights in Nigeria, and all relevant institutions must ensure the security and welfare of Nigerians. She commended the Anambra State Government for deciding to foot the medical expenses of the injured victims.

On its own, the Global Amnesty Watch described the Sunday attack as the worst form of evil against humanity.

The group in a statement signed by its Assistant Country Representative, Dr. Chinedu Chukwu, said, “It is befuddling how anybody could contemplate, plan and execute such evil and pursue it to the extent of snuffing the lives of innocent persons and it is more worrisome that the perpetrators could contemplate violating the sanctity of the sacred chamber of a house of worship and go all out to pursue their plan where prayers are being said in reverence to the Almighty God!” all