Following the rampant killings in Benue State and other parts of the country, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), has accused both the Federal and the Benue State governments of failing in their primary responsibility to protect lives and ensure public safety.

In a statement signed by Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, President of the CBCN and Archbishop of Owerri, the bishops expressed ‘heavy hearts and deep anguish’ over what they described as ‘utterly barbaric’ attacks on defenseless communities in Benue.

According to the statement, the cold-blooded attacks on defenseless communities where countless have been slaughtered, homes destroyed, and families left in anguish, are an affront to God, a stain on our shared humanity, and a terrifying reminder of the utter breakdown of security in our land.

It said no matter how well a government pays salaries or builds roads, its failure to protect human lives renders its achievements hollow, adding that the sanctity of human life is supreme.

The group called for immediate and decisive action from both state and federal authorities to restore peace, apprehend the perpetrators, and ensure justice for victims.

According to the bishops, “Any government that fails to make the safety and protection of its citizens and their property its foremost priority abdicates its fundamental responsibility and moral legitimacy.”