Fr. Justine John Dyikuk, RFI Senior Fellow for International Religious Freedom Policy, authored an article published this week in the The Pillar discussing a meeting that took place Wednesday in which leaders of the Catholic bishops’ conference in Nigeria urged President Muhammadu Buhari to take action on ongoing violence, insecurity, and economic collapse in their country. Fr. Dyikuk writes: 

The meeting came as Nigerian Christians face ongoing violence from terrorist groups, along with employment and economic discrimination in much of the country’s northern and central region.  

“The sad state of insecurity in the land…has consumed thousands of innocent Nigerians across all regions, creeds and ethnic groups,” the bishops said Jan. 11, in an 8-paragraph message delivered to Buhari during a meeting at his residence in Abuja, the country’s capital city.

While the bishops did not comment on the content of the meeting, Premium Times reported Wednesday that Buhari told the bishops that he agreed partially with their assessment, and insisted that his administration had made security improvements.

Read the full article: “Nigeria’s bishops push Buhari on terrorism, corruption; Buhari reportedly pushes back.”