‘Our breadwinner is no more’

•Mrs. Kachollom Pam and her son...yesterday

Members of the St. Finbarr’s Church, Rayfield, Jos, the Plateau State capital, which was bombed on Sunday, are still mourning. They buried another victim yesterday. The Parish Priest, the Very Rev. Fr. Peter Umoren, urged government to compensate the families of the victims.

Speaking before the burial mass for the late Mr. Monday Pam who was one of those that manned the church’s gate at the time of the incident, Fr. Umoren lamented that the church has been burying members since Sunday, adding that many are still on hospital beds.

A two-year-old son and a pregnant wife survive the late Pam.The deceased’s wife, Kachollom, said she is sad and confused “because our breadwinner is no more.”

She appealed to the government to tighten security and compensate the families of the victims.       

Rev. Umoren said: “This awful experience has made my heart to bleed. But we are not deterred as our faith is challenged and we have to rise and defend our belief because God did not give us the spirit of timidity but courage.

“The latest victim is the eighth person we have buried since Sunday. We buried three on that day, two on Monday; one on Tuesday, one on Wednesday, one today. Some people want to destroy the church, but it cannot be destroyed.”

He said five of the victims were members of the Boys’ Scout, adding that they were manning the gate when the incident occurred. 

The priest added: “This sad incident will make us stronger as the deceased were heroes who sacrificed their lives for us. They prevented the suicide bombers from crashing into the church. Some of them died, some lost belongings. Government should compensate the families of the victims.”