The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, has voiced serious concern over Nigeria’s worsening security crisis, warning that the country is gradually becoming a vast national morgue due to ongoing violence and incessant killings.
Delivering his Easter message on Sunday, April 20, Bishop Kukah lamented the deepening human suffering, describing the current reality as one marked by “a culture of brutality and savagery never witnessed in the history of our dear country.”
Using the metaphor of the crucifixion, Kukah illustrated the pain endured by Nigerians and called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently act to save citizens from what he described as “this cross of evil.” He acknowledged that the president did not create the current crisis but stressed that Nigerians have remained “bleeding and dangling on this cross of pain and mindless suffering for far too long.”
Bishop Kukah condemned the rising tide of kidnappings, killings, and violent crimes, emphasizing that no household or community in the country remains untouched by the wave of insecurity. “A dark pall of death hangs languidly from north to south. Every day, innocent citizens are kidnapped and held under the most inhuman conditions. Nigeria is reaching a breaking point,” he warned.
He also criticized the government’s economic policies, particularly its response to hardship through palliative distributions, which he said undermines the dignity of citizens. While acknowledging the necessity of removing fuel subsidies and the resultant increase in available resources, Kukah highlighted the dangers faced by farmers, noting that farming has been among the most perilous occupations in Nigeria for more than a decade. He stressed that palliatives are not enough and called for sustainable food access and security.
The Bishop urged President Tinubu to recognize food security as a constitutional right, saying, “Make food security a constitutional right for all citizens. Mr. President, please bring us down from this painful cross of hunger.”
Despite the grim assessment, Kukah urged Nigerians to remain hopeful, reminding them of their collective duty to dispel the darkness that has enveloped the nation. “The structural deformities, iniquities, and corruption of our country must not be an excuse to lose hope. We are the light of the world, a city set on a hill. With the light of Christ, we can build a society that reflects the will of our Creator,” he said.
He concluded his Easter message with blessings for the nation and a call for renewed faith in its future. “I wish you, Mr. President, and all Nigerians, a blessed and happy Easter,” Kukah said.
