Nigeria: Priest killed by bandits buried as clergy protest rising insecurity
By Fr. Benedict Mayaki
Over 700 catholic priests in Nigeria have held a peaceful protest on Thursday as they buried Fr. Vitus Borogo, a priest who was killed over the weekend in Kaduna state
Vatican News had reported that Fr. Borogo, a Catholic priest serving in the Archdiocese of Kaduna, was killed by unknown armed persons at Prison Farm, Kujama, along Kaduna-Kachia road, Chikun Local Government Area, on 25 June.
Fr. Borogo's younger brother was also abducted during the attack.
During the protest held after the Mass, the priests of the Kaduna archdiocese carried placards with inscriptions to express their grievances and to call on authorities to take action.
Insecurity
At the funeral, which was held at the Queen of Apostles Catholic Church, the Archbishop of Kaduna, Matthew Ndagoso, lamented the rising state of insecurity in the country, particularly under the present administration.
The archbishop said that Nigerians, and in particular the faithful in the archdiocese of Kaduna are traumatized because of the rising attacks in the country, while authorities seem to be incapacitated to tackle the problem.
"But in our confusion and trauma, we believe God is in it", he assured. “And this is what gives us hope and a reason to live.”
He prayed for the family members of Fr. Borogo, his mother, siblings, and in particular, the younger brother who is still in the hands of the captors.
He also prayed for God to touch the hearts of the kidnappers. "They are human beings and therefore they are not beyond redemption – nobody is beyond redemption," the Archbishop said. "It is our hope and prayer that God in his time, will touch the hearts of these people to lay down their arms and allow their fellow citizens to live their normal lives."
Fr. Borogo is not the first priest of the Archdiocese of Kaduna that has died at the hands of armed bandits since the start of this year.
Just three weeks ago, a funeral was held for Fr. Joseph Aketeh Bako without his corpse. The priest had died in the custody of his abductors, after being kidnapped in March.
The archbishop advised the government to take measures to ensure the security of the country and to protect vulnerable communities against attacks.
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