The corpses of Reverend Fathers Joseph Gor and Felix Tyolaha, and seventeen parishioners killed by herdsmen who invaded the St. Ignatius Quasi Parish at Ukpor, Mbalom in Gwer West Local Government Council of Benue state, has the State for mass burial.
The 19 victims of the attack, amidst tears and protests, are being buried at the Ayati pilgrim site near Ikpayongo in Gwer East Local Government Area of the State.
TheNewsGuru reports Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has arrived the venue as part of guests at the programme, and the protests by Catholics against killings in Nigeria is taking side-by-side the funeral service.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) had fixed Tuesday, May 22 as a day of protests for Catholic faithful across the country. Tuesday 22nd of May was also fixed as the day the Reverend Fathers and others who lost their lives would be laid to rest.
The Catholic Diocese of Makurdi had expressed regret at the nonchalant attitude of security agencies in containing incessant killings across the country by herdsmen.
Reverend Father Moses Iorapuu, Director of Communications, in a statement, had said the Diocese has been active in providing food and relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s) since the onset of hostilities in the State and wondered why it could be marked as a target of attacks.
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