Nigerian Archbishop: His fury and suspicions about latest attack on school by militants

(Vatican Radio) Residents of a town in North East Nigeria claim security forces withdrew from 2 local checkpoints shortly before an attack by Islamic militants on a boarding school. 59 students died in the attack which has been blamed on Boko Haram. The militant group has attacked dozens of schools in north-East Nigeria since it began its bloody insurgency for an Islamic state.

Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Jos says he and many other Nigerians are wondering how these militants can carry out these brutal attacks with such impunity and question whether the security forces have Boko Haram sympathizers within their ranks. He spoke to Susy Hodges. about his concerns.

Listen to the full interview with Archbishop Kaigama of Jos:

Asked for his reaction to this latest attack, the Archbishop says people there “are absolutely” despondent” over these continuing attacks by the Islamic militant group Boko Haram in north eastern Nigeria. He describes this particular raid on the boarding school in the town of Buni Yadi as “inhuman, brutal” where “innocent children, students” are attacked and killed, with the boys being separated from the girls and then “slaughtered like animals.” As the group’s name implies, Archbishop Kaigama says Boko Haram militants are opposed to Western education which they see as “diabolic” and thus are trying to destroy it.

Like many other Nigerians, Archbishop Kaigama says he too wonders why, when so much money and resources are being invested in the nation’s security forces, that Boko Haram were able to attack this school “without being noticed” or stopped by security agents.

“I wonder a lot…. and my suspicion and my fury is that perhaps we have insiders among the security forces who are sympathetic to the cause of Boko Haram, who either give out information or who close their eyes and refuse to react to certain things.”