Easter: Kukah laments insecurity, urges urgent action

Kukah

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has warned that Nigeria is drifting dangerously amid what he described as “endless turbulence,” cautioning that the country could slide into a deeper crisis if urgent steps are not taken to restore trust, security, and good governance.

In his 2026 Easter message issued on Sunday and titled Faith and Hope in Times of Turbulence, Kukah painted a grim picture of a nation weighed down by insecurity, economic hardship, and leadership challenges.

“Turbulence is Nigeria’s surname,” the cleric declared, describing the country as one trapped in a cycle of instability worsened by what he called “self-generated turbulence by the local elites.”

He said the worsening security situation had spiralled into a humanitarian crisis, with thousands killed, millions displaced, and several communities devastated by violence.

“After over 20 years and well over 20,000 corpses, the grim harvester still roams freely across the country,” he said.

“For now, our nation has become what the late Pope Francis referred to as a field hospital.”

Kukah warned that growing distrust in the military and other government institutions was pushing desperate citizens into dangerous alliances, including collaboration with criminal elements.

“Years of fatigue have lured ordinary citizens into the treacherous embrace of bandits,” he said, noting that some individuals now serve as informants, thereby “trading the future of their families and communities.”

Addressing governance issues, Kukah accused Nigeria’s political elite of failing to fulfil campaign promises, leaving millions of citizens in poverty and many young people without hope for a better future.

“The Nigerian landscape is still riddled with unredeemed promissory notes,” he said.