From John Adams, Minna
No fewer than 500 Priests from within and outside, including political leaders in the state on Friday attended the burial of late Very Reverend Isaac Achi of the St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Kafin Koro in Paikoro local government area of Niger state who was killed and burn to death by some gunmen suspected to be bandits on Sunday.
The Priests were led in the burial mass by the .Catholic Bishop of Minna Dioceses, Most Rev. Dr. Martins Igwemezie Uzoukwu and assisted by the Auxiliary Bishop of Minna Diocese, Most. Rev. Dr. Sylvester Luka Gopper.
The state delegation at the burial was led by the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Kesto, the Senator representing Niger East Senatorial District, Senator Sani Musa and All Progressive Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate in the state, Alhaji Mohammed Umar Bago.
In his sermon, Very Rev. Father Samuel Gwimi of the Catholic Institute of Africa, Port harcourt said that the way the late Rev. Achi was gruesomely, brutally and wickedly murdered was a painful one for the Catholic community, adding that “his death left so many questions in our minds and someone will be tempted to ask, where is God. But we will continue to trust in God ad this question can be answer in our Christian faith.
“This is where can find comfort in the death of Late Rev. Achi. We know that in the eyes of God, his death was never an accident. The hour has come, as Christians we must keep our faith no mater the challenges”, adding that “something must takes human life, the death of Rev. Father Achi will never be in vein”.
On the security situation in the country, he said the issue of Banditry has become so shameful that the government seems to have lost hope on how to tackle the situation, saying that Nigerians have lost confidence in the government to give them protections.
He therefore urged those seeking for position of leadership in 2023 to make Security their priority because the protection of life and property remain the primary responsibility of leaders as all level of government.
According to him, “if you know that you can not protect the people, don’t seek for the votes. God will ask you as a leader if you failed in your responsibility to protect the people because that is the ultimate of governance”.
Also speaking, In his message, the Chief Mourner, Most Rev. Dr. Martin Igwemezie Uzoukwu, Catholic Bishop of Minna Diocese said many Christians have continued to be target of violence and killings by gunmen in the country, saying that Nigeria is becoming the most dangerous country to live by Christians.
He said the government and security must investigate the murder of Very Rev. Fr. Isaac Azekpili Achi and bring the perpetrators to book, stressing that the government can not continue to pay lip service to issue of security in the country.P
According to him “the government must guarantee the security of the people it governs. So many Christians have been targets of attack and we must all be vigilant.”
Speaking shortly after attending the burial, the Deputy Governor Alhaji Ahmed Kesto assured that the perpetrators of the gruesome murder of Rev. Father Achi will be brought to book, saying that the state government has set a committee to investigate the killing with a view to bring the perpetrators to book.
Also in his reaction, senator Sani Musa who is from the same local government area with the late Rev. Achi, retreated his calls for the overhauling of the entire country security architecture because, according to him, the existing system is no longer working.
He described the growing security situation, especially in the state and his constituency in particular as very worrisome, saying that his entire constituency has been under siege from bandits and other criminal element, making Lives miserable for his people.
