Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to alleviate the deepening suffering and insecurity facing millions of Nigerians.
The Bishop’s plea was contained in a powerful and emotionally charged Easter message titled “Mr. President, Please Bring Us Down From This Cross.”
Bishop Kukah drew a striking parallel between the crucifixion of Christ and the pain endured by citizens across the country, describing Nigeria as a “nation dangling and bleeding on a cross of pain and mindless suffering.”
“Mr. President, with a greater sense of urgency, hasten to bring us down from this cross of evil,” he stated.
While acknowledging that President Tinubu did not create the nation’s current crises, Kukah stressed that the time for moral clarity, bold leadership, and concrete action is now.
He noted that from hunger and poverty to rising insecurity and cynicism, the Nigerian people are enduring “a culture of brutality and savagery never witnessed in our country’s history.”
The Bishop lamented the spread of violence, where kidnappings and killings have become commonplace, turning communities into “national morgues.”
He expressed concern over what he described as a growing culture of hopelessness, fueled by a lack of trust in the government’s ability to secure peace or uphold citizens’ dignity.
Referencing the declaration of 2025 as the Year of Hope by Pope Francis, Kukah encouraged Nigerians not to give up on the idea of a better future.
He insisted that hope must remain the anchor of national renewal, even as citizens face the harsh realities of economic hardship and security breakdowns.
“The road to our collective discouragement has been laid by marauders, murderers, savages and ravenous predators,” he said, warning that failure to act decisively now could irreparably damage the country’s social fabric.
Kukah also criticized the over-reliance on palliatives, stating that they diminish the dignity of citizens and do not provide lasting solutions.
Instead, he called on the President to prioritize food security, healthcare access, and peace-building as fundamental rights and responsibilities of leadership.
On insecurity, he raised serious concerns, noting that those who once allegedly sponsored violence for political gain have now lost control, allowing it to metastasize into a national cancer threatening Nigeria’s very foundation.
“The bandits are now embedded in our lives. Kidnapping is no longer just crime—it is political and existential sabotage,” he warned.
In closing, Bishop Kukah challenged the government and security forces to either prove their capacity to restore peace or admit failure.
He questioned whether Nigerians are being “sacrificed to an unknown god” and called on the President to lead with courage and moral authority.
“Mr. President, step up, get to the finishing line, and bring us down from this cross of shame,” he concluded.
