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The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, has expressed deep concern over Nigeria’s deteriorating security situation.
In his Easter message delivered on Sunday, Bishop Kukah warned that the country is slowly turning into a vast national morgue due to incessant killings and widespread violence.
He lamented the scale of human suffering across the nation, describing the current climate as marked by “a culture of brutality and savagery never witnessed in the history of our dear country.”
Kukah used the metaphor of the crucifixion to illustrate the extent of national pain, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently intervene and rescue citizens from what he termed “this cross of evil.”
“Mr. President, we all admit that you neither erected this cross nor initiated our collective crucifixion. However, Nigerians have been left bleeding and dangling on this cross of pain and mindless suffering for far too long,” he said.
The Bishop condemned the increasing frequency of kidnappings, killings, and other forms of violent crimes across the country, stating that no household or community 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,” Kukah warned.
He further criticized the government’s approach to economic hardship, particularly the reliance on palliative distributions, which he said erodes the dignity of citizens.
“While we agree that removing fuel subsidies was a necessary decision and acknowledge the availability of more domestic resources, the reality is that farming has become one of the most dangerous occupations in Nigeria for over a decade. Mere palliatives are insufficient. What Nigerians need is sustainable access to food and security,” he stated.
Calling for urgent reforms, the Bishop urged President Tinubu to enshrine food security as a fundamental human right.
“Make food security a constitutional right for all citizens. Mr. President, please bring us down from this painful cross of hunger,” he appealed.
Despite the grim picture, Bishop Kukah encouraged Nigerians to hold on to hope, reminding them of their collective responsibility to drive out the darkness engulfing 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 message with blessings for the nation and a call for renewed faith in the country’s potential.
“I wish you, Mr. President, and all Nigerians, a blessed and happy Easter,” he added.
