AFRICA/NIGERIA - Some Catholic and Anglican Bishops: "fight against corruption to defeat Boko Haram"

Abuja (Agenzia Fides ) - "I have just returned from Europe. Anywhere I went, Nigerians in Europe were asking me the same question: why is Boko Haram killing innocent children?" said Cardinal John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, Archbishop of Abuja, in an interview with reporters after celebrating the 50th anniversary thanksgiving of "Archbishop Vinning Memorial Church Cathedral".
"The only thing I will advise President Jonathan on is to go after those stealing Nigeria’s money. This money can be used to alleviate the sufferings of the poor and the violent attacks in the North" said the Cardinal, as reported by CISA Catholic agency in Nairobi.
Mgr. Alfred Adewale Martins, Archbishop of Lagos, added: "What is happening in the North is barbaric and uncalled for. The Catholic Bishops will meet very soon to discuss the present situation in the North because the attacks on innocent people on a daily basis are worrisome".
Even the Anglican Bishop of Lagos West, Reverend James Odedeji, said that what is happening in Nigeria is a result of corruption and abuse of power by Nigerian politicians: "The government should take full responsibility of securing the life and property of its citizenry which it took an oath to do".
Even Bishop Oliver Dashe Doeme, Bishop of Maiduguri, capital of Borno State, the place where Boko Haram was born in 2009, has recently (see Fides 11/03/2014) invited to fight corruption to defeat the Islamist sect. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 12/03/2014)