Matthew Kukah, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, has issued a heartfelt plea to President Bola Tinubu, urging him to act swiftly to curb the spate of killings and kidnappings ravaging Nigeria.
In his powerful Easter homily for 2025, Kukah condemned the nation’s growing insecurity, declaring that Nigeria is slowly transforming into a “national morgue” under the current administration.
Kukah’s remarks, delivered in his sermon titled “Mr. President: Please Bring Us Down from This Cross,” painted a grim picture of life in Nigeria, where innocent citizens face daily kidnappings and are held in horrendous conditions.
“Every day, innocent citizens are kidnapped and held under the most inhuman conditions,” Kukah stated, describing the situation as a dark shadow of death hanging over the entire country.
The bishop’s words resonated deeply, as he described the pervasive violence that has reached all corners of the nation, leaving no family or community untouched.
“It is impossible to find a home, a family, or a community that has not been caught in the cusp of this savagery,” he lamented.
Kukah went further to express his concern over the deepening suffering among Nigerians, urging President Tinubu to take immediate action.
“Mr. President, Nigeria is reaching a breaking point. The nation is gradually becoming a huge national morgue. With a greater sense of urgency, hasten to bring us down from this cross of evil,” he implored.
The cleric also echoed the frustration of many Nigerians who have endured prolonged hardship.
“These times of great suffering should be times of hope, hope beyond human imagination,” Kukah continued, referencing the teachings of St. Paul.
“Nigerians have been dangling and bleeding on this cross of pain and mindless suffering for too long.”
His comments underscored the prevalent culture of cynicism and self-doubt that has gripped the nation, with many citizens feeling that peace and security remain elusive.
“A culture of cynicism and self-doubt over our capacity to secure peace for ourselves pervades our land,” Kukah said. “Indeed, a majority of our citizens feel that there is no hope in sight.”
Kukah’s passionate plea echoes concerns raised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which recently highlighted the high levels of poverty and food insecurity under President Tinubu’s leadership.
The IMF’s report paints a bleak picture of the nation’s economic challenges, which have only intensified in the face of escalating violence.
This sentiment was mirrored in the widespread protests that erupted across Nigeria in August 2024, where thousands of Nigerians took to the streets for a 10-day demonstration against bad governance and hunger.
Despite the public outcry, President Tinubu has maintained that the current economic hardship is a necessary sacrifice for the long-term benefit of the country.
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