"Even though the outside world knows the extent of the ongoing killings and displacement of Christian communities in Nigeria, there exists what I term a conspiracy of silence."

“They set fire to the cathedral and tried to kill the firefighters who arrived to put out the flames. Afterwards they tried to destroy the walls of the cathedral with a truck."

His first instruction that day was that all priests should remain in their parishes, close to the faithful entrusted to them. At the same time, the safety of their families required care and attention, since most Greek Catholic diocesan clergy have wives and children.

But parents were aware of the crushing financial crisis that has sunk the country’s economy over the past few years. How could they not be? Many of them had found themselves unable to meet their obligations, including paying tuition.

“One Christian managed to flee and he is the one who told the story. This is what happened on the night of Sept. 6 and the following day – 11 people were murdered in total and they left a trail of destruction and a lot of fear.”

“We moved to a hill after the boundary wall of our mud house collapsed but it was too hot under the open sky. We are unsure of our future. The cotton crop has rotted after the first harvest, and the sugar cane is being ruined."