You Have A Right To Self Defence, Catholic Bishop Tells Christians

Speaking at a 3-day 50 years anniversary celebration of the Association of Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Maryland, Lagos, Kaigama, however, sued for peace and stability as necessary ingredients for national development.

He said, “Killing will do nobody any good from whichever side it’s coming from; so let us beware. Killing only creates more violence, more tension and only destroys the country that we are trying to build.

“When we begin to engage in violence to solve violence we only multiply violence, and the Christian message is very key and very central.

“If other people kill in the name of religion, our religion does not allow that as Christians. That doesn’t mean that we should sit down and just allow anybody burn our house, our means of livelihood and even kill us.

“You have a right to self defence; that somebody is threatening your life you have a right to defend yourself legitimately, even in law, even in human and divine law this is allowed,” Kaigama said.

Similarly, a Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Adewale Martins, who condemned the recent killing in Southern Kaduna, said, “Every single human being has a right to life, a right to his life being protected and protecting his own life as well.

“It is a fundamental right and therefore every Christian, every Muslim has a right to defend him or herself if he feels threatened,” he said.