24 May, 2013 - Nigeria, the world’s seventh most populous nation, “now almost totters
on the brink” of disaster, the nation’s bishops have warned. In a statement entitled
“To Rescue Nigeria from Collapse,” the bishops said, “What started as a mere clash
between law enforcement agencies and members of the Islamic sect commonly labeled
Boko Haram, has since spiraled into what can, be best described as a low-intensity
war especially in some northern states of the country.” “Taken together with a range
of other crises in other parts of the country such as armed robbery, kidnapping, communal
clashes, our country now almost totters on the brink,” they said. “Families have
been wiped out, communities displaced and now refugees and internally displaced persons
roam the Nigerian landscape,” they said. “Everyday, we hear more and more ugly stories
of death and destruction in the land. Sadly, the entire apparatus of state security
seems totally overwhelmed by the agents of darkness.” Stating that proposals to grant
blanket amnesty to the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram are tantamount to “an endorsement
of criminality,” the bishops nonetheless said that they support “genuine amnesty …
offering pardon to repentant militants and not appeasing criminals and their sponsors
to stay calm.