A cleric, Archbishop Josef Bassey, has maintained that Nigeria’s insecurity persists not because of military weakness, but due to a lack of political will and courage to confront vested interests.
Bassey, who is the leader of the Cross River State Christian Leaders Forum, stated this in an interview with journalists on Wednesday in Calabar
He asserted that the killings of Christians in Nigeria have persisted for years despite repeated denials by some individuals and groups.
The killings, Bassey surmised amounts to genocide, adding that the attacks have become routine, losing news value because they occur daily without consequence or meaningful response from the authorities.
“However, A renewed global attention led by the United States has given victims confidence that their cries could finally be heard.
“The normalisation of violence has left many Christians feeling helpless and abandoned, leaving many of them as victims in situations with no hope of rescue,” he said.
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Bassey also stated that some Nigerians deny the genocide out of fear for their lives.
While warning that silence is often driven by self-preservation, and not the truth, the cleric maintained that no Christian living in Nigeria can honestly claim ignorance of systematic killings and targeted attacks against believers.
Commenting on the recent airstrikes in Sokoto State by the United States, Bassey said military operations are intelligence-driven and that insurgency cannot be ended without targeting the leadership and intelligence bases that coordinate violence across regions.
