Two Catholic Priests and at least 17 worshippers have been killed in an attack by herdsmen on St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Ukpor -Mbalom community in Gwer East Local Government of Benue State in Nigeria. The Catholic Diocese of Makurdi confirmed the killing of two of its priests, Fathers Joseph Gor and Felix Tyolaha, in an early hour attack on St Ignatius Quasi Parish. A statement by its Director of Communications, Rev Fr Moses Iorapuu, said that the attacks were perpetrated by herdsmen who stormed the Mbalom community and killed the two priests during the morning mass at the church.
The Diocese expressed regret at the nonchalant attitude of the security agencies in containing the killings.It said the herdsmen, who stormed the community, burnt down houses, destroyed crops and killed people. As reported by Vanguard, the Director of Communications, Rev Fr Moses Iorapuu, remarked that “The attacks were perpetrated by herdsmen who stormed the Mbalom community and killed the two priests during the morning mass at the church. The Diocese had 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. The attack on the priests is an attack on everything that we ever stood for and believed in.”
Fr. Gor had before the attack written on Facebook; “Living in fear. The Fulani herdsmen are still around us in Mbalom. They refuse to go. They still go grazing around us. No weapons to defend ourselves”.
Source: Vanguard
