The Catholic Bishops of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province have warned President Bola Tinubu against sacrificing the lives of Nigerians in the Niger Republic crisis.
The Catholic Bishops also urged Tinubu to avoid involving Nigerians in the armed conflict in Niger Republic.
The clergymen asked Tinubu to listen to the public and resolve the crisis in the embattled country with diplomatic measures.
This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the two-day meeting of the Catholic Bishops of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province held in Ado-Ekiti.
The communiqué was signed by the President, Most Rev. Gabriel Abegunrin and Secretary, Most Rev. John Oyejola.
The Catholic Bishops, comprising Ibadan Archdiocese, Ilorin, Ondo, Oyo, Ekiti and Osogbo Dioceses, insisted that Nigeria have more than enough challenges to tackle than involving in any war.
The communiqué partly read, “If the public reaction to Nigeria’s involvement in restoring democracy in Niger is anything to go by, one can say that military intervention in Niger being proposed by the leaders of the Economic Community of West Africa ECOWAS is very unpopular.
“Nigerians favour negotiation and other non-military means, and President Bola Tinubu, who is president first and foremost of Nigeria, needs to listen to Nigerians before anyone else.
“We call on the President and the National Assembly therefore to avoid involving Nigeria in armed conflict in Niger as we have more than enough challenges domestically.
“No Nigerian life should be sacrificed for the crisis in Niger or anywhere else because war of any kind is a failure of humanity.”
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