Nigeria: Appeal for prayers for kidnapped schoolgirls

CAFOD’s Nigerian partners have called on Catholics in England and Wales to pray for the freedom of more than 200 secondary school girls in northeast Nigeria, kidnapped by Jihadist group Boko Haram.

Director of the Caritas Foundation of Nigeria, Father Evaristus Bassey spoke to CAFOD this week about the ongoing situation: “The mood here is tense. People are becoming impatient, they just can’t understand how so many children could be taken in one swoop and the authorities still do not know where they are being kept. We are praying daily for the children and their families. Even a single child abducted is one too many. We pray for their speedy rescue. It is through prayer that we do not lose hope.

“It is also important that during our prayer sessions, we remind people not to descend into hatred, and not to think ill of their neighbours because they are from a different tribe or religious background. These events have caused some to use hate speech in the media, and we are telling our congregations that it is immaterial whether you are Christian or Muslim; we are all human and people of God.

“Church leaders and Islamic clerics are working together to bring about dialogue in communities. Our role as people of God is to uphold unity, and not play into the hands of those that seek to divide us.

“It is important that the government also looks into the root causes of this renewed insurgency. It is not enough to say that Boko Haram is sponsored by politicians who are desperate to take over power. We must look into the deep-seated causes of poverty, which make individuals and communities vulnerable and easily manipulated. There needs to be more political will to fight poverty, corruption and bad governance so that people can live their lives in dignity and brotherhood.

“We ask CAFOD supporters to keep praying for the release of our children, and when they are released we ask you to keep praying for the unity of our country.

“God bless you all.”

Source: CAFOD