Catholic Bishops, on Sunday in Abuja urged governments at all levels to checkmate the proliferation of small arms as insecurity rages unabated in the country,
They decried the terror regularly unleashed on communities by bandits, religion extremists and other gunmen.
“Governments should urgently check the proliferation of small arms and light weapons facilitated by the booming business of gunrunning which fuels insecurity in our country.
“It does not make sense to disarm the populace while armed criminals terrorise unarmed citizens,’’ President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, said.
He was addressing the opening of the second plenary of a retreat of the CBCN.
“We appeal to kidnappers and their sponsors and to those who unleash violence in our communities to have a change of heart and shun all forms of criminality to avoid God’s wrath.
“We also strongly denounce the mindless and reckless spilling of blood and destruction of property in our communities by hardened criminals and some trigger-happy government security operatives.
“The shedding of innocent blood is an abomination. God hates hands that shed innocent blood,’’ he stressed.
Speaking on the state of the economy Ugorji noted that while the economy was declining, the masses continued to suffer just as crime rate increased.
“We cannot get tired of urging government to rise to its primary responsibility of securing the lives and property of its citizens,’’ he said.
The archbishop also expressed the hope that future elections in Nigeria would be decided at the polls and not at the courts.
He appealed to governments at all levels to cut the cost of governance and to address deepening poverty and growing youth unemployment.
Ugorji also had some advice for ECOWAS and for the AU.
“We appeal to the leadership of ECOWAS and the AU to resist the temptation of recognising military intervention as solution to leadership crisis in Africa.
“They should continue to explore the more peaceful option of diplomatic negotiations.
