Insecurity: Catholics in Nigeria to wear black dress on Ash Wednesday

To mark this year's Ash Wednesday, millions of Roman Catholic Church members have concluded plans to dress in black and match across town to show their displeasure for the security situation in Nigeria.

The Church also disclosed that their members world-wide would rally round Nigeria to pray over the state of insecurity in the country.

Senior Parish Priest of St. Peter’s Nunkai in Jalingo, Taraba State, Rev. Fr. Felix Gobi stated this during Mass today.

Urging his parishioners to come out, Gobi stated that the church will continue to speak until the killing of Christians and Nigerians stop.

“We will continue to talk to our leaders that this way, we want to let them know that the killings of Christians by Boko Haram and killings of Nigerians by arm bandit and kidnappers is a condemned situation and must stop.

“Until we see the will to stop these ceaseless killings and an improved security situation in Nigeria where human lives must be respected, what we are experiencing in Nigeria now is not of God, is Satanic.”

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria also issued a statement to differe t parishes announcing the action for Ash Wednesday.

The statement was signed by Augustine Akubeze and Camillus Umoh, president and secretary of CBCN respectively.

It reads:

“As a mark of mourning for all our brothers and sisters who have been victims of the most recent wave of violence against Christians, we are all dressed in black today and offer our prayers and penance for their repose.

“We invite the universal church and all Christians to join us in prayers for our dead brothers and sisters and for peace and security in Nigeria.

“We equally appeal to the international community to come to the aid of the Nigerian government in the fight against these daredevil terrorists, who want to destabilise our country.

“The consequences, should they succeed, will be grave not only for the West African sub-region but also for Africa as a whole.”