Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto has made a passionate and prophetic appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alerting that Nigeria is reaching a breaking point and gradually becoming a “huge national morgue”. In a searing Easter message, Bishop Kukah underscored the gravity of the nation’s current situation and implored the President to act with a greater sense of urgency to address the country’s mounting challenges. With a voice both pastoral and piercing, Kukah drew on the powerful symbolism of the crucifixion to describe Nigeria’s descent into a state of unbearable suffering.
“The nation is gradually becoming a huge national morgue,” he declared, lamenting the waves of insecurity, hunger, hopelessness, and political cynicism that have engulfed the country. The prelate painted a grim picture of citizens kidnapped, communities ravaged, and lives reduced to a struggle for basic survival. He said, “Across the entire country, every day, innocent citizens are kidnapped and held under the most inhuman conditions. A dark pall of death hangs languidly from north to south. It is impossible to find a home, a family, or a community that has not been caught in the cusp of this savagery. “Now, Mr. President, Nigeria is reaching a breaking point. The nation is gradually becoming a huge national morgue.
Mr. President, with a greater sense of urgency, hasten to bring us down from this cross of evil.” While acknowledging that President Tinubu did not create Nigeria’s current crisis, Bishop Kukah insisted that he bears the urgent responsibility to rescue the nation from its “cross of evil. The bishop portrayed a nation in distress, where citizens are “dangling and bleeding” on a “cross of pain and mindless suffering”. He highlighted the depth of desperation and hopelessness that many Nigerians feel, as a culture of cynicism and self-doubt takes hold. His statement read in part, “Notwithstanding, Nigerians have been dangling and bleeding on this cross of pain and mindless suffering for too long. A culture of cynicism and self-doubt over our capacity to secure peace for ourselves pervades our land.
“Indeed, a majority of our citizens feel that there is no hope in sight. However, for us as Christians, Hope is the anchor on which we hang all our hopes (Heb. 6:19). Now is the time to re-enkindle and renew that hope.” He urged President Tinubu to renew hope in Nigeria by addressing the nation’s suffering while also emphasising on the importance of faith and perseverance. The bishop likened Nigeria’s journey to greatness to a ship with broken navigational aids, highlighting the threats posed by the nation’s current challenges. However, he emphasised that as Christians, the focus should be on Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith. Bishop Kukah drew on biblical references to illustrate the importance of finding hope in times of suffering. He noted that while crises can tempt individuals to doubt, Christians must learn to look to the cross as a source of hope and strength.
“We Christians are compelled to look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,” Bishop Kukah said, invoking the resilience of pilgrims marching against the current. “Mr. President, renew our hope by bringing us down from this cross of brutality and suffering.” In an unflinching section of his message, the prelate referenced past political confessions that linked current insecurity to political scheming gone awry. He condemned the metastasising “cancer” of banditry and kidnapping, warning that the state risks becoming a spectator in “the dance of death” unless it acts with urgency “We now hang on the cross at the mercy of these forces of darkness,” he said. “Is the persistence of the insecurity a statement of the lack of capacity… or is it evidence that those at the top are reaping the fruits of funding their own war machine?”
While Bishop Kukah supported the controversial removal of subsidies, he made it clear that throwing palliatives at the poor was not a viable substitute for economic justice. “Palliative distribution diminishes the dignity of citizens,” he warned, calling for food security to be enshrined as a fundamental human right. Citing Pope Francis’ declaration of 2025 as the Year of Hope, Bishop Kukah urged Nigerians to resist despair and look beyond the current afflictions. He reminded the nation that the resurrection of Christ is not a metaphor but a mandate to shine as “a city set on a hill” and to rebuild a broken society with truth and justice. With one of his most haunting refrains yet, Bishop Kukah delivered a message that was at once spiritual and political, mournful yet hopeful. “We are in a dilemma now.
Mr. President, step up, get to the finishing line, and bring us down from this cross of shame.” The bishop closed his message with Easter blessings to all Nigerians, but it is clear his words were crafted not just for prayerful reflection, but for urgent national action. His parting words, “The resurrection of Jesus equips Christians to face life’s challenges with confidence. At Easter, we must remember that the law of the Lord is written in our hearts (Rom2:15). The structural deformities, the iniquities and corruption of our country are not an excuse for us to let down our guard. “We are the light of the world, a city set on a hill. We are equipped with the light of Christ to drive out the darkness that threatens to engulf our country. Let us collectively renew our commitment and hope for building a society after the mind of our creator. “
I wish you, Mr. President, a happy Easter. Blessings and a happy Easter to all Nigerians.
