In a powerful and moving Easter message delivered on Holy Saturday, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan Kukah, issued a passionate plea to President Bola Tinubu to rescue Nigerians from the deepening crises plaguing the country. Drawing on the Christian metaphor of the cross, Kukah painted a sobering picture of a nation bleeding under the weight of insecurity, poverty, and disillusionment.
Titled “Mr. President: Please Bring Us Down from This Cross,” the message likened the suffering of Nigerians to the crucifixion of Christ, asserting that while Tinubu did not create the crises, he now bears the moral responsibility to end them.
“Nigerians have been dangling and bleeding on this cross of pain and mindless suffering for too long,” Kukah said. “Now, Mr. President, Nigeria is reaching a breaking point. The nation is gradually becoming a huge national morgue.”
He described the present state of the nation as one marked by a “culture of brutality and savagery,” with rampant kidnappings, insecurity, hunger, and hopelessness affecting nearly every community across the country.
Kukah did not spare the political class, referring to past admissions by officials who brought in violent actors as tools of political advantage, only to now find those forces spiraling out of control.
“This cancer threatens the very foundation of our common humanity,” Kukah warned. “Kidnapping is now a dog whistle for undermining the very structure and foundation of our country.”
Despite the gravity of his message, the Bishop offered a glimmer of hope, invoking Pope Francis’ declaration of 2025 as the Year of Hope. He called on Nigerians to remain anchored in faith, even in the face of despair, and urged the President to channel national resources and goodwill toward genuine security, food access, and human dignity.
He emphasized that while the removal of fuel subsidies may have been a necessary economic step, it cannot be followed by mere palliatives. Kukah called instead for long-term structural solutions to food insecurity and poverty.
“Mr. President, hunger, sickness and desolation stalk the land. Make food security a fundamental human right to all citizens.”
In a final challenge, the Bishop questioned whether the prolonged insecurity signaled a lack of military capacity or, more disturbingly, the profiteering of those who benefit from chaos.
“Are Nigerians lambs being sacrificed to an unknown god?” he asked.
Kukah’s Easter message, rich in scriptural references and moral urgency, concluded on a note of resilience, reminding Nigerians that the resurrection of Christ is a call to face adversity with courage and conviction.
“We are the light of the world, a city set on a hill… Let us collectively renew our commitment and hope for building a society after the mind of our creator.”
As the nation marks Easter, Kukah’s words stand as both a lament and a rallying cry—an appeal for decisive leadership and a collective return to the values of justice, dignity, and peace.
