YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon – In a significant move towards reconciliation, the Nigerian military has issued an apology for the August 5 assault on Father Bernard Unum and his stewards at All Saints Ikyaior Catholic Church in the northeast of Nigeria.

The attack, which resulted in one steward losing his eye, has been acknowledged by Brigadier General Kingsley Uwa, who is the commander of the Jalingo area in Taraba State. The parish was in the nearby village of Wukari.

Bishop Mark Maigida Nzukwein of the Catholic Diocese of Wukari confirmed the military’s efforts to make amends, highlighting the importance of this gesture in healing the community.

The bishop said Uwa “has taken full responsibility” for the military’s attack on the priest.

He added the military commander has initiated “a thorough investigation” to hold those responsible to account.

The general also issued an apology to both the priest and the steward, and acknowledged the trauma they endured as a result of the assault.

Nzukwein emphasized that the current focus is on the healing process, as both individuals have been significantly affected by the incident.

The bishop recommended that the military not only visit him but also meet with the priest and steward in person to initiate the healing journey.

He said the military’s presence and acknowledgment are crucial for the victims’ recovery, even as he expressed his appreciation for the steps the military has taken so far.

However, Nzukwein remained concerned about the unanswered questions surrounding the assault.

How the attack took place

Recounting the details of the assault on his person to journalists on August 7, Unum said the soldiers claimed they were looking for criminals.

“I had just reported to my new station at the All Saints Pastoral Centre on August 2, 2024. On August 5, around 9 a.m., six military vehicles and motorcycles entered the church premises. I approached them, introduced myself as the priest in charge of the Church,” the priest said.

“I tried to inquire from them what was happening and they told me that they were on a mission in the area in search of criminals,” he continued.

“One of them requested for water which I asked one of the altar boys to give him,” he said.

The priest said he then went inside to prepare to go to town.

“It was while I was inside that I heard my cook crying and asking me for help. I quickly stepped out and found him on the ground while the soldiers were mercilessly beating him. I cried out that he was my cook…and I repeated to them that I am a priest,” he told journalists.

He said before long, the soldiers descended on him as well.

The bishop says the military’s explanation that they were looking for criminals at the priest’s home  falls flat, noting that they know exactly where the criminals are – “deep in the bush, where bandits and kidnappers operate with impunity.”

The attack once more highlights the continued persecution of Christians in the country of over 200 million, nearly evenly divided between Christians and Muslims.

The Director of the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law, Emeka Umeagbalassi, told Crux in an earlier interview that the Nigerian military has become “a branch of a government jihad, a state jihad.”

“In fact, we are no longer the security forces of Nigeria. We are no longer the armed forces of Nigeria. We are no longer the Nigerian police force. We are the jihadist forces of Nigeria. We are the jihadist forces of Nigeria, maintained by the jihadist government of Nigeria,” he said.

He told Crux the Nigeria security forces are “Islamic –inspired’ and are turning a blind eye to terrorist attacks on Christian communities.

According to Alliance Defending Freedom, roughly 5,000 Christians were killed for their faith in Nigeria in 2022 – more than the number killed in all other countries combined. In 2023, over 8000 Christians were killed in Nigeria, according to Intersociety.

The organization reported in 2023 that at least 52,250 had been killed in Nigeria since 2009.