By Godwin-Maria Utuedoye,
Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, His Excellency, Archbishop Anthony Guido Filipazzi has faulted the Federal Government for not doing enough to protect Nigerians from violent attacks and all forms of insecurity in the
country.
Archbishop Filipazzi who faulted the FG at a press briefing at Our Lady and St. Kizito Pastoral Centre, Ede in Osun State last Wednesday, observed that there is ‘too much violence’ in Nigeria.
The Pope’s representative in Nigeria also observed that although the Southern Kaduna killings affect mostly Christians, the Church should understand that Muslims are also being killed in other parts of the country, particularly in the North.
Insisting that the Federal Government must wake up to its responsibilities by protecting the lives of Nigerians, the Papal Nuncio said both Christians and Muslims should be protected. “The mission of the state is to protect lives
and we have to stop the problem of antagonism between Christians and Muslims.
Affirming that the killing in Southern Kaduna is not pecu�liar to the state alone but the whole of the Northern region, he urged Nigerians not to be particular that only Christians are killed because Muslims are also victims.
“Although Southern Kaduna is an area where Christians and Catholics are mostly affected, however, it is important to note that many Muslims are also being killed in other parts of the North, such as Maiduguri, Borno State,
where Boko Haram bombed many mosques.
“The point is that there is too much violence in Nigeria and the law seems not being enforced to bring the people to respect the law, respect the life and properties of everybody,” he said.
On easing the lockdown occasioned by COVID-19, Prelate said it was wrong for the government to close churches while allowing markets to
operate. According to him, no study linked the spread of Coronavirus to churches anywhere in the world.
“Unfortunately, the church was highly regulated when there was no study throughout the world that it is responsible for the spread of the pandemic.
“The authorities introduced different measures to regulate church activities while markets were not closed, transportation activities were
left unchecked and the streets crowded,” he said .