Easter: Christian Leaders Urge FG, States To Stop Killings, Hardship

Christian leaders from various denominations across Nigeria have appealed to the federal and state governments to mobilise resources to address the rising wave of killings in different parts of the country.

They also pleaded with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and state governors to review their current economic policies and reduce the burden these reforms have placed on citizens.

In their messages yesterday ahead of the Easter celebration, the clergymen stated that the occasion was taking place amidst harsh economic realities, worsening insecurity, bloodshed, and the kidnapping of their members and other Nigerians by bandits and terrorists who operate without any resistance or hindrance.

Expressing shock at the recent surge in the wanton killings of Nigerians in different parts of the country, the clerics reiterated that the protection of life and property remains the government’s primary responsibility at national and subnational levels.

In his message, the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Borno State, Most Rev. John Bogna Bakeni, urged Christian faithful to be ambassadors of reconciliation and peace in their communities.

Bakeni, who made this call in his Easter message yesterday in Maiduguri to the faithful, charged the government and the security agencies to live up to their responsibility of securing life and property nationwide.

The CAN chairman, who is the auxiliary Bishop of Maiduguri Catholic Diocese, said, “There is no doubt that this year’s Easter celebration comes amidst harsh economic realities, rising insecurity and bloodshed in different parts of the country. Kidnapping has become the order of the day. I urge the government and all security agencies to rise to the responsibility and duty of securing life and property,” he said.

In Kaduna State, the Catholic Archbishop of Kaduna, Most Rev. Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, appealed to Nigerians not to be hopeless but to emulate Jesus Christ in overcoming challenges as He conquered death.

Ndagoso, who read his Easter message yesterday at the Catholic Secretariat Kaduna, said, “Easter season should help not only to encourage and strengthen us in our difficult and challenging situations but to give us hope.”

Ndagoso, who is also the vice president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, noted that some government policies had contributed to the country’s sense of hopelessness and despair.

“In the spirit of the Jubilee Year of Hope, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) showed us how to restore hope in our dear land. The Jubilee Year of Hope invites us to be agents of renewal, arising from restoration and freedom”.

He urged the federal government to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians urgently.

“While we encourage the citizens not to lose hope in themselves, their country, and God, we equally encourage governments at all levels, especially the federal government, some of whose policies have brought us to where we are, to do more than it is doing now to alleviate the suffering of the vast majority of the citizens,” he said.

For his part, the Bauchi State chapter of CAN called on Christians to demonstrate love and togetherness with one another and adherents of other religions for the country’s overall development.

Its chairman, Rev Abraham Damina, warned Christians against strife, adding that they should live righteous lives and emulate Jesus Christ.

He also encouraged the faithful to use Good Friday and Easter as opportunities for sober reflection, introspection, and spiritual rejuvenation.

Other Christian leaders in Bauchi echoed similar sentiments. Rev Refel Adegulola of the First Baptist Church, Bauchi, urged Christians to redouble their efforts in worshipping God and expressing gratitude to Him.

Similarly, Rev Baiko Jimra Fakshi of ECWA Church, Bauchi, emphasised the importance of observing spiritual days like Good Friday.

The chairman of CAN in Abia State, Rev Ojo Uduma, congratulated Christians in the state, stressing that the period centres on God’s salvation for mankind through the death of Jesus Christ.

“Easter is not just a period for celebration and merrymaking, but a period to reflect on the suffering, the death, and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ,” he told LEADERSHIP Sunday.

He underscored the need for love, peace, tolerance, understanding, unity, harmony, and the security of the state for its development and transformation.

Nigeria’s Suffering Will End In Praise – Archbishop Onuoha

Meanwhile, the president of the Christian Council of Nigeria and Archbishop of the Anglican Province of Owerri, Most Rev. David O. C. Onuoha, has assured Nigerians that the current suffering and hardship in the country will not endure, declaring that it will ultimately “end in praise at God’s appointed time.”

In his 2025 Easter message to Christians and all Nigerians, the archbishop, who also serves as Bishop of the Okigwe South Diocese, described Easter as a season that signifies hope, victory, and divine purpose in the face of adversity.

He said Jesus’s resurrection is a testament to the triumph of light over darkness, truth over falsehood, hope over despair, and life over death.

“Alleluia, Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, Alleluia!” the archbishop began, expressing joy at the opportunity to celebrate Easter despite the challenges facing the country.

He emphasised that the resurrection remains a powerful reminder of God’s mysterious ways and His ability to turn even the most wicked schemes into instruments of divine fulfilment.

“It is amazing how the conspiracies and intrigues of those who thought they were fighting to destroy Jesus became part of the process that worked out the plan of God for the world,” he said.

Atiku, Mutfwang, Akpabio, Amaechi Call For Love, Unity For Nigeria’s Greatness

In his message, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar extended heartfelt felicitations to Christians across the country and the world, urging all Nigerians to imbibe the enduring virtues of love and selfless sacrifice exemplified by Jesus Christ.

In a statement released by his Media Office in Abuja, the Waziri Adamawa emphasised that these noble virtues remain indispensable to fostering the unity and cohesion Nigeria urgently requires, especially in a time when narrow, sectional interests threaten to erode the bonds that hold the nation together.

“This weekend, we join our Christian brothers and sisters in celebrating Easter — a sacred moment that commemorates the profound sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is a season that calls for deep introspection, compassion, and reaching out to those in need,” Atiku stated.

He called on Nigerians of all faiths and ethnicities to unite in prayer and purpose for the peace and progress of the nation.

“Let us remain steadfast in the pursuit of unity across every divide. Our strength as a people lies in our togetherness. A nation united shall always endure and flourish,” he affirmed.

Expressing optimism, Atiku declared his belief that Nigeria shall overcome her present trials.

“Though evil may momentarily cast a shadow, the collective goodness and resilience of Nigerians will prevail. In unity and shared purpose, our nation shall rise,” he said.

Furthermore, he urged Nigeria’s leaders at every level to use the Easter period as a time of introspection, embracing the spirit of the season to recommit to their sacred duty of service.

“Our leaders must be guided by the principles of sacrifice, love, and charity. It is only through sincere collaboration that we can heal our divisions and renew our national hope. We must resist every attempt to deepen fault lines, for our challenges are not born of ethnicity or religion, but of a failure to build common understanding,” he said.

Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang also congratulated Christians on the occasion of the Easter celebration, which commemorates Christ’s redemptive sacrifice and His triumph over sin and death.

Mutfwang, in his Easter message, signed by the director of press and public affairs, Mr Gyang Bere, described the celebration as the cornerstone of the Christian faith, centred on the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the salvation of mankind.

“Each Easter offers us a sacred opportunity to reflect on the foundation of our Christian faith – the death, burial, and glorious resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. It is a time for renewal, deep introspection, and unwavering hope,” the Governor stated.

He added, “Let us never forget the immeasurable price paid on the Cross of Calvary, where Christ bore our sins and suffered so we might receive forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life. His resurrection assures us of victory over sin, despair, and every adversity.”

For his part, Senate President Godswill Akpabio challenged Christians and other Nigerians to use Easter to eschew political, religious, and ethnic biases and unite for the country’s progress and general well-being.

He also appealed to those perpetrating violence and mass killings across the country to respect the sanctity of human life by choosing love over hatred and abandoning their evil ways to allow peace to reign in Nigeria.

Akpabio made the call in his Easter message, which was released by his special adviser on media and publicity, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, in Abuja.

He said, “While I congratulate the Christian faithful on successfully completing the 40-day Lenten fast and now celebrating Easter, I urge us all to show love to one another, irrespective of ethnic, religious, or political affiliation.

“I also encourage our Christian brothers and sisters to emulate the humility, love, and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We are all created in the image of God Almighty, and nothing should cause us to discriminate against another human being,” he said.

On his part, the Minister of Transportation, Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, asked Nigerians across religious and ethnic divides to embrace love, peace, and tolerance to build a safe, unified, and prosperous nation.

Amaechi, who is also a former governor of Rivers State, made the call in his Easter message to Nigerians yesterday.

He decried the wanton killings of innocent citizens in different parts of the country and the government’s seemingly inability to protect the people, stating that Nigeria can only move forward if there is security of life and property, peace, a thriving economy, and unity of purpose and love among its people.

Amaechi said, “We may be a country with diverse ethnic nationalities and religions, but in achieving our dreams and goals as a people, we must put those differences aside and move as one nation to attain greater heights.

“The recent spike in the wanton killings of innocent citizens in different parts of the country particularly perturbs me. The key responsibility of the government is to protect life and property. The government owes this basic minimum responsibility to the people and has to halt these deaths and violence.

“If we work together in peace and unity, we can overcome our challenges and emerge as a formidable nation, the kind we all desire,” Amaechi said.

Use Easter Time To Pray For Compassionate Leaders – Obi

In his Easter message, former Anambra State governor Peter Obi urged Nigerians to pray for God to send the country compassionate leaders who will share their pain.

In a message signed by his spokesman Ibrahim Umar on Saturday, Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 poll said that compassionate leaders always think of the people in the consequences of their actions and inactions.

“At Easter, Christians celebrate the huge sacrifice Jesus Christ made for mankind.

“Therefore, there is no better time to pray for tender-hearted and caring leaders for our country than at Easter, when we see in Jesus a remarkable, compassionate leader,” he said.

Obi noted that “what is apparent in Nigeria today as insecurity and a myriad of problems engulf the land is a visible abdication of responsibility by insensitive and indifferent leaders. Nigeria deserves better leadership than it is getting – those who can use God’s natural and human capital gifts to benefit the populace.”