The Catholic Bishops of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province have expressed worries over the living conditions of the Oriire abductees, five weeks after they were taken.

The Bishops, in a news conference held in Ibadan on Monday, demanded the abductees’ immediate and unconditional release.

The province, comprising the Ibadan Archdiocese and the Ondo, Ilorin, Oyo, Ekiti, and Osogbo Dioceses, has the Most Rev. Gabriel Abegunrin as president and the Most Rev. Anselm Lawani as secretary.

The Bishops declared that the abductees, taken May 15, had lived long enough under the harshest conditions, without a roof over their heads, hence the need for government to act.

They expressed worry that the victims were completely exposed to the elements in the forest and in the hands of the most vicious and merciless criminals.

The Bishops described the murder of a teacher, a motorcycle rider and the beheading of another teacher in the forest as “a barbaric assassination of culture and erasure of decency”.

“This should have absolutely no place in Nigeria and, particularly, among Yoruba people.

“The incident violated the sanity and innocence of the Nigerian South-West, which is well-known for its passion for education,” said the Bishops.

They also said that the abduction and the killings had turned the simple life of the Esiele community into a long and sorrowful nightmare.

While noting the barrage of reassurances, speeches and visits by the federal and state governments, they said that the nation’s security could still be improved.

“Nigerians seem no further than where they were ten years ago with insecurity of lives and property,” they lamented.

They highlighted the scale of insecurity and how violent kidnapping in farmlands and villages appears to be normal news.

They also expressed concern that policemen and soldiers were attacked and murdered.

The Bishops said they could no longer keep quiet over the excruciating wait, the painful lament, and the unspeakable suffering inflicted on families of the 46 abductees.

“We condemn this gross assault on the sanctity of human life and social order and we are outraged by the seeming inability of our governments to prevent its frequent occurrence,” they said.

Drawing parallels with Chibok, the Bishops pleaded with the Oyo State Government to ensure that the Esiele abductees did not suffer the same fate.

“Gov. Makinde should act now lest the present debacle dim the glory of his past exploits.

“We also appeal to the Federal Government and National Assembly to fast-track the processes of approving State Police, and put a policy and legislation in place to prevent its misapplication,” they said.

The ecclesiastical province called for decisive policing of forests, an enhanced intelligence gathering, equipping grassroots communities to defend themselves, and the adoption of technology to enhance security.

They condemned the ongoing reintegration of so-called ‘repentant bandits’ into security agencies and society, while treating victims of crime and their relatives with neglect or outright disdain.

According to them, it rubs dirt on the face of justice, and it is a strand of the corruption that has bedevilled the social contract.

The Bishops demanded that bandits and kidnappers be made to face the full force of the law firmly and swiftly, lest others be encouraged to take up arms against the State.

They urged Nigerians to be law-abiding, vigilant, and to always pray for the victims and security agents.

“Nigeria belongs to all of us; no innocent soul should be made to suffer violence, oppression or marginalisation while the government at any level looks on as if helpless and overwhelmed,” they said. (NAN)