The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has called on President Goodluck Jonathan, the legislative authority and the country's security outfits to take effective action on the Boko Haram menace before it snowballs into a crisis of reciprocal religious atrocities.

In a statement signed by the Deputy Secretary General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), Rev. Fr. Peter Okonkwo, they called on them to stop treating the Boko Haram issue with kid gloves as in the case of "Nero fiddling while Rome burns."

The Bishops said the persistent crude attack of the Boko Haram sect on innocent Nigerians is not only a security threat but a callous, calculated attempt to destabilize the country and rubbish her security using religion as a prime factor.