2015-07-14 11:00:00

“A lot of our people are back, but they look sick, hungry and traumatised “


“For us the big story is that most of our people are coming back to their communities, though such communities are not generally safe.  Residents have to begin their lives anew. Many towns, homes, schools, hospitals, bridges have been razed down by the bombs of Boko Haram. Generally life and movement in this part of Nigeria is very difficult.”  These are the words of Fr. Gideon Obasogie, the social communications director of the Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri in Nigeria. He said this to Vatican Radio’s English Service for Africa recently.

Although the Nigerian military, buoyed by Chadian and Cameroonian forces, has made significant gains on Boko Haram, in recent months and rescued more than 1,000 kidnapped persons, the danger from Boko Haram is far from over in the northeast of Nigeria. As if to underscore this, in the last two weeks alone, Boko Haram went on rampage killing more than 300 persons in a wave of bomb attacks in several towns and villages.

Notwithstanding the dangers, Fr. Obasogie says people are returning to their villages and towns due to the slight improvement in the security of the area.

“A lot of our people are back, but they look sick, hungry and traumatised,” Fr. Gideon Obasogie said. With no recourse to counselling, these communities need support.  The Bishop of Maiduguri, Oliver Dashe Doeme, has taken the unusual step of sending priests to exactly these same communities where security is far from certain. He wants the priests to accompany the people as they try to rebuild their lives.

“One of the main pastoral activities of the Bishop of Maiduguri is to strengthen the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Bishop Dashe has sent priests back to these communities to pastorally assist the returnees,” said Fr. Obasogie.

Asked about the new Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, who vowed in his first post-election pronouncement, ‘to spare no effort in tackling (the Boko Haram) insurgency,’ Fr. Obasogie said, “The Buhari administration is doing its best to end the insurgency. The military is advancing and recapturing those communities that were under the terrorists' control.” Fr. Obasogie was however quick to add that, “A lot of people are still afraid of the presence of suicide bombers around the city and villages,” he said.

According to Fr. Obasogie, the returnees who are coming back as IDPs or as refugees “are dissatisfied with the Nigerian situation of long term promises. They are finding life really hard. A good number of them are still waiting with little hope on the new (Buhari) administration,” he underlined. He says the returnees would like to see their ruined homes and lives rebuilt.  Many look up to the Church for assistance. “Bishop Dashe has therefore focused on supporting the people.  The people have to reconstruct their lives.  But, before reconstructing our burnt structures, there is need to feed, clothe, give medical care and trauma counseling to sections of our heavily traumatised people,” pointed out Fr. Obasogie. 

Amidst fears of suicide bombers in crowded places such as Churches, the Diocese of Maiduguri recently witnessed an ordination ceremony in one of the communities that was previously bombed and ransacked by Boko Haram.  Three priests were ordained.  Priests and the faithful from far distant dioceses cast aside their fears and joined Maiduguri Diocese at the ordination Mass.  

“This was a strong sign of solidarity and our people rejoiced greatly upon seeing such unity in faith,” said an overwhelmed Fr. Obasogie.  At the same ceremony, Bishop Dashe took the opportunity to encourage the people of Maiduguri and beyond to remain faithful to the Gospel. He also said, “The Rosary prayer for Mary's intercession is the only live line we have got…forgiveness is of paramount importance,” Fr. Obasogie added. 

Fr. Obasogie says that against all odds, “The faith of the Church in this part of the country is truly growing.  We appreciate all people of good will who have demonstrated their love and care towards the suffering Church of Maiduguri Diocese. Our people have come to experience greater faith than ever before.  They hold on to their faith in their plight and difficulties. God is all we have now,” he emphasised.

Maiduguri in the northeast of Nigeria has been the scene of great ‘religious’ violence since 2009 when an Islamist terrorist group, Boko Haram began its rebel activities.  In 2013, desperately trying to contain the situation, former President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in the northeast of Nigeria.

As of April 2015, Nigeria was said to have more than a million and a half Internally displaced persons (IDPs) most of them due to the insurgency in the northeast of the country. In October 2014, then President, Goodluck Jonathan said that more than 13 000 people had been killed in the Boko Haram insurgency. Many innocent civilians have been injured in the brutal campaign by the Islamist group while hundreds have been abducted by the militants.

The death toll of 13 000 given by Goodluck Jonathan has been broadly accepted as fairly accurate by the international community and by africacheck.org.  Others such as the Nigeria Security Tracker, a project run by the Africa programme of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) has given higher estimates because according to them, the number of casualties is usually three to five times what is actually reported. Therefore they estimate that the death toll due to the Boko Haram insurgency stands at over 17,500. This figure is for the period May 2011 to August 2014.

The Boko Haram insurgency has since spread to Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

Monday this week, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari reorganised the whole military top brass. He appointed new defence chiefs after firing the heads of the army, navy and air force inherited from the former president.

(By Fr. Paul Samasumo)

e-mail: engafrica@vatiradio.va








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