In a stirring Easter message titled “Pilgrims of Hope in a Season of Despair,” the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Hassan Kukah, has issued a heartfelt plea to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take urgent and decisive action to rescue Nigeria from what he described as the grip of murderers, ravenous predators, and a deepening culture of savagery.
Bishop Kukah reminded the nation of Pope Francis’ declaration of 2025 as the Year of Hope, stressing that Nigeria must align with this call by resisting the growing darkness that has consumed its moral and social fabric.
“Pope Francis, in declaring this a Year of Hope, acknowledged the harsh currents of violence, pain, and tribulation that pilgrims across the world face. In Nigeria, that road has been paved by bandits, terrorists, and political actors who have normalized chaos,” Kukah said.
He lamented that years of violence and state failure have turned Nigeria into a battlefield where the dignity of human life is routinely undermined. “We are gradually losing our place among the comity of civilized nations. Each day, families wake to news of kidnappings, killings, and disappearances. The entire country has become a theatre of grief,” he added.
The Bishop noted that while President Tinubu did not create the current crisis, the responsibility to fix it lies with him. “Mr. President, you did not place this cross upon us, but Nigerians have been hanging from it for too long. The blood of the innocent cries out daily, and despair now haunts every corner of this nation.”
On the issue of economic hardship, Kukah acknowledged the rationale behind the fuel subsidy removal but warned that the resulting hardship is eroding the dignity of citizens. “We believe subsidy removal was necessary. However, increased revenue must translate into real relief for the people. It is insulting to reduce our national suffering to temporary palliatives. Mr. President, hunger, sickness, and desolation now stalk the land. Food security must be treated as a fundamental human right.”
He decried the increasing threat to farming communities, describing agriculture as “one of the most dangerous occupations in Nigeria today.”
Kukah also recalled revelations by some politicians who admitted in the past to bringing armed groups into the country for political gains, a move that he said has since metastasized into a national cancer. “What started as a selfish strategy has become a raging inferno threatening to consume us all. Banditry and terror have woven themselves into the daily fabric of Nigerian life, threatening to destroy the social glue that holds our communities together,” he said.
He questioned the apparent helplessness of Nigeria’s security institutions in dealing with the situation. “Are we facing a lack of capacity, or are there people benefitting from the chaos? Have we become sacrificial lambs offered to a strange god?”
Bishop Kukah warned that allowing insecurity to fester will not only destroy public trust but could trigger a wider societal collapse. “The security forces appear to have become spectators in a dance of death, while Nigerians grow more frustrated by the day. We are sitting on a time bomb of despair.”
Despite the grim picture, the bishop expressed faith in the nation’s ability to turn things around. “We believe all is not lost. The resurrection of Christ is a symbol of hope and renewal. Now is the time to reclaim our nation from darkness and rebuild a country anchored in justice, peace, and dignity.”
He concluded his address with a direct appeal to President Tinubu: “Mr. President, step up. Break the silence. Lead from the front. Bring us down from these crosses of shame, hunger, and hopelessness. Let this be a resurrection season not only for Christians but for Nigeria as a whole.”
Kukah wished President Tinubu and all Nigerians a blessed Easter, calling on everyone to become lights that dispel the growing darkness enveloping the country.
