NIDOA Chicago Condemns Owo Terrorist Attack

Nigerians in Diaspora Americas Chicago, NIDOA Chicago and its entire members were saddened to hear about the barbaric attacks in the Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State. NIDOA Chicago commiserate with the people of Ondo State following the killings of worshippers at St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo. We sympathize with the families of the victims including the good people and government of Ondo State. We pray that Almighty God comfort everyone and hope their happy memories will help all through this difficult time. NIDOA Chicago wondered why any right-minded persons should embark on such a heinous, horrible and inhuman act against innocent God fearing worshippers. We charge and supplicate the Security Agencies to unmask the people behind the killings and deal decisively with them to serve as a deterrent to anyone planning to polarize Nigeria through the fanning of embers of hate and killings. Again, we pray that this mindless act committed in a church where many gathered to seek spiritual solace and worship should be addressed to ensure it does not ever happen in Nigeria again.

Dr. O. Igbinosun Vice President On behalf of NIDOA Chicago

Nigerians in Diaspora Chicagoland members call on USA to assist in stopping the massacre in Nigeria

There has been mourning spanning past borders for the children killed in their Texas school because those in other nations can feel that pain. There has been worldwide mourning and speculation for so many other massacres that have taken place in America. But when it happens in Ondo State within the borders of Nigeria, America cannot hear nor see. It’s so easy for people countries away to grieve the deaths of children or doctors at the hands of gun violence in America, yet it seems impossible for America to recognize that pain when it happens in an African nation.

Fifty Christians killed in their place of worship. And it is number 4 on trending news on Twitter. This is not the first massacre either. There have been numerous others including daily kidnappings.

If we ourselves do not open our mouths to speak, they won’t say anything. So, because of this, we are speaking. We need the United States to pay attention, to offer that which they can. Because this is not just its typical “America First” policy. We know this because we’ve seen all the Ukrainian flags flying in people’s yards and on their profile pictures. This is a long history of an American refusal to see and acknowledge the suffering that happens in non-white countries, in countries like Nigeria.

Nigeria, a country that by 2050 will have a population that will surpass that of the United States of America. A country with such strong ties to the U.S. that one out of every five black Americans are descended from Nigeria.

So, we are calling on the U.S. for the aid that we know they have, the aid that we know is reserved for European countries, It’s about time that we stop having to prove ourselves academically and economically in order for the wider world to care about whether we live or not. We are all children of God, we should all try as hard as we can to mitigate one another’s suffering and care for each other.