The attacks on Nigerian churches and Christians were strongly condemned by the Orthodox Public Affairs Committee (OPAC) on Tuesday.
President Muhammdu Buhari was asked to guarantee the protection of faithful by the organization, which was founded to conduct public advocacy for the global Orthodox Christian Church.
OPAC condemned the horrific slaughter of worshippers in a statement made available to DAILY POST.
The Christian body said, “On June 5th, the Feast of Pentecost in the Western Church, at least fifty people were murdered at the St. Francis Catholic Church in Ondo State, and the priest of the Parish was kidnapped.
“This follows the Holy Week Murder of Fr. Ferdinand Fanen Ngugban and six other Christians on March 30, 2022, just following the celebration of the Mass.”
The attack took place at Fr. Ngugban’s parish church of St. Paul Ayetwar in Benue State, according to OPAC.
President Buhari was asked by OPAC “to protect peaceful Christian population – the largest in Africa – from extremist terrorist violence.
“There are no attacks by Christians upon other religious groups in Nigeria.
“The continuous targeting of Christians during principal religious holidays is beginning to feel like Nigerian state-sponsored terrorism against its own citizens and it must stop!”
OPAC has requested that the US Department of State insist on the protection of Christians in Nigeria.
The statement asked Nigeria’s government “to root out extremist terrorist elements that are clearly tolerating this inhuman and horrific persecution of peaceful Christian citizens.”