•Honor father who lost four daughters and recently died

On Christmas Day, international human rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe and global humanitarian missionary Dr William Devlin, both recipients of US President Obama and President Biden’s volunteerism award respectively for their pro bono service to humanity, joined the parishioners of St Theresa’s church Madalla for a mass on the 12^th anniversary of its deadly bombing.

It was their second time in Nigeria in one week as they had also been in the country the previous weekend to attend the wedding of late Mubi CAN chair’s daughter Agnes Lawan Andimi in Makurdi. Incidentally Pastor Andimi was beheaded by terrorists four years ago on Christmas Day also.

“Our commitment to the persecuted is unwavering and we hope our presence is an encouragement to the body of Christ that they’re not forgotten,” they duo stated.

Inviting them to address the church during the mass, Parish Priest Makama said,

“You are welcome, God bless you, welcome, welcome…

So, I will hand over the microphone to you to briefly address the people

Why you are here, ok?”

Barrister Emmanuel Ogebe made the following remarks:

“Praise the name of the Lord.

My name is Emmanuel Ogebe,

I used to live and practice in Abuja about 30 years ago, before I went to America.

And when this tragedy occurred, it broke my heart, because this is a community, I was part of.

And that same day, in Jos, my cousin was in church, and their church was also attacked that day.

So, this was an attack that was very dear to my heart.

I knew that on that day, my people in Abuja were affected, and my cousin in Jos, was affected.

We have visited here before, we met with brother Emmanuel Obiukwu

Who lost his four daughters.

We visited with Reverend Dr William two years ago, and he’s here again this year.

We said we’ll come and stand with you and encourage you to bless you

For sustaining the faith.

As Father said to us a few moments ago, this faith has not died.

Rather, you all have continued to keep the faith.

May God bless you all.”

On his part, Dr William Devlin said,

“I bring you greetings in the name of the Father,

In the of the Son and in the name of the Holy Spirit.

Amen. Praise the Lord.

Hallelujah.

Thank you, Father, for allowing us to address you in the mighty name of Jesus. My name is Reverend Dr. William Devlin.” He promised never to forget or forsake the persecuted in Nigeria.

After the mass, the American team waited while the church traced any remaining family members of Emmanuel Obiukwu.

Obiukwu had lost four daughters in the church bombing in 2011 – Linda 23, Cynthia 13, Linderlin and Queenderlin Obiukwu both 16 were twins.

Sadly Mr Obiukwu himself passed away recently. After it was confirmed that his widow had traveled to Anambra for his upcoming memorial rites in their hometown, his sole surviving son Celestine Chukwu who was also there the day of the bombing was located and came to meet with the foreign visitors.

Together they took a memorial photograph at the graveside of his four sisters. Again the US humanitarian duo stood in for late Obiukwu as it was the first Christmas that he wasn’t alive and present at the memorial anniversary.

“It was a real honor and deeply humbling to be in the field of martyrs representing a father now reunited with his four dearly beloved daughters,” said the duo.

Barrister Ogebe told how he had sponsored medical examination for Obiukwu the last time he saw him in 2021 but diagnosed nothing even though he was visibly unwell. He urged Celestine to seek trauma counseling for hidden and unseen after effects, promising to fund the therapy.

On his part, Celestine said he was unable to find work after obtaining a computer science degree and is now a building materials seller.

2011 Christmas bombing at St Theresa’s church service details about some of those lost:

- 45 year old Titus Eze was a father of 4 kids.

- Jonathan Obasi was a year older. He also left behind 4 orphans

- Florence Nwachukwu was 37.

- Chiemerie Nwachukwu was with her 7-month baby who also died with her

- Sunday Ajah was 22, single and self-employed

- Clara Iwuozor was 44 and the mother of one child

- Linda 23, Cynthia 13, Linderlin and Queenderlin both 16 Obiukwu were all sisters from the same family.

- Williams Dike aged 40, died alongside his 3 kids Lilian 10, Richard 6 and Emmanuel 4.

His surviving children Chimobi 13 and Favour 10 were injured with Chimobi still having shrapnel from the explosion in his skull.

“I’m not encouraged by the way we treat our victims. Celestine who was a teenage survivor of the bomb that killed his sisters should not be lacking a job with a computer science degree. His dad’s death is the continuing collateral casualty of uncared for victims.

We as a society must do better for one another. These are famous victims in the capital area and yet more victims are created far and wide daily who will also be neglected. I urge Muslims and Christians alike to help them out,” Ogebe pleaded.

“In US, the four black girls who were killed in the 16^th street church bombing 60 years ago are still well remembered. Incidentally one has the same name as Obiukwu’s daughter “Cynthia.” The first female black Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson attended the memorial this year. The girls’ deaths is considered one of the turning points of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, as outrage across the country helped spur the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In his eulogy for the girls in front of 3,000 mourners, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called them “the modern heroines of a noble crusade for human dignity and freedom.” In recognition of the 50^th anniversary of the bombing in 2013, President Barack Obama signed a bill awarding the Congressional Gold Medal, the country’s highest civilian honor, to the four girls in recognition of the fact that their deaths represented one of the pivotal moments of the Civil Rights Movement. But in Nigeria both our lives and our deaths are meaningless.”

The US humanitarians said although they would be unable to attend Obiukwu’s memorial in Anambra this weekend, they would be with the family in spirit.

•L-R Barrister Ogebe, Celestine Obiukwu, Collin Peter and Dr Devlin in front of bombed vehicles at memorial site. Standing in for late Obiukwu with his son at the gravesite of the four martyred Obiukwu sisters encouraging the St Theresa’s congregation

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