Exactly 11 years after the bomb attacks on St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla in Niger State, members of the congregation have continued to lick their wounds.
Over 100 persons were said to have died in the attack said to have been carried out by Boko Haram insurgents on December 25, 2011.
One of the suspects, Kabiru Sokoto, was said to have escaped from prison.
The church’s parish priest, Rev. Fr John Jatau, in an interview with The PRESS on Sunday, said the present regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had failed to secure lives and properties in the country.
He charged the next government to provide security for citizens.
Jatau said, “Today, we are having the normal Christmas Sunday Mass, and of course, we especially remember those that were killed here 11 years ago today.
“Most people have moved on from the incident, and we have come to terms with the incident. Of course, their graves are still here with us, and sometimes when we see them they bring back some of those dark memories, but generally, people seem to have moved on, and it doesn’t stop people from coming to church and life continues.
“Of course, there are people left with wounds, and some incapacitated in one way or another. We see them, and what we do to them is to keep encouraging them, but they are also happy to be alive because they could have been among those that died. So they still thank God despite their present conditions.”
Jatau said the government has failed the people as far as security is concerned.
He added, “As it is, the current government has failed us security-wise, as far as I’m concerned because there are people with friends and relatives in the hands of their captors looking for money and things like that.
“So, if people don’t feel safe and secure, I think there is no government. Anybody who cannot secure the lives of its citizens and their property should not think of going into the leadership position of any country, especially Nigeria.”
