AFRICA/NIGERIA - Bishops pay a visit to the diocese of Maiduguri marked by the violence of Boko Haram

Friday, 24 June 2016 bishops  

Abuja (Agenzia Fides) - "We are on a visit of solidarity with the people and the Church of Borno to see for ourselves the devastation caused by the activities of Boko Haram", said His Exc. Mgr. Gabriel Leke Abegunrin, Archbishop of Ibadan and Apostolic Administrator of Osogbo, who led a delegation of some Nigerian dioceses during the visit, on June 21, in the diocese of Maiduguri, capital of Borno state, deeply marked by the violence of the Islamist Boko Haram sect.
According to reports sent to Agenzia Fides by Fr. Gideon Obasogie, Director of Social Communications of the Diocese of Maiduguri, the delegation was composed only by Mgr. Gabriel Leke Abegunrin, by His Exc. Mgr. Emmanuel A. Badejo, Bishop of Oyo, by Fr. Michael Okodua, Vicar General of Osogbo and by Fr. Martin De Cross C.M.F.
In his homily, Mgr. Badejo commended the courage of evangelical Christians in Maiduguri, noting that if the local Ordinary, His Exc. Mgr. Oliver Dashe Doeme appears serene, full of courage and hope, even in the most painful moments, it is due to his faithful, who have supported and encouraged him with their example.
Mgr. Doeme appreciated and thanked the Bishops for the visit noting that it is a concrete demonstration of Christian solidarity. A solidarity that was materialized in the meeting with IDPs, accommodated in some camps near Maiduguri, including one run by the Catholic Church and another by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). In addition to donating essential goods and a sum of money collected in their dioceses, the Bishops saw for themselves the conditions of the displaced. "What we heard about the conditions of displaced persons on the radio and television is different from their real conditions of life", said Mgr. Abegunrin. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 24/06/2016)


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