Op-ed Article
Theme: Peace, Not War: Avoiding The Cruelty Of Good Friday in our Nation
By Most Rev. Ignatius Ayau Kaigama, Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Nigeria
As we once again celebrate the joy and victory of our risen Lord at Easter, we are reminded that light always triumphs over darkness, just as life always conquers death. The Resurrection of Christ is not merely an event of the past; it is a living and powerful promise that God’s divine power is still at work among His people even in the most difficult and trying times.
Even though we are aware that the Resurrection of Christ is inseparably linked to the suffering of Good Friday, sadly, this Easter finds us again as a nation passing through trials that weigh heavily on the heart. Across our land, families continue to grapple with economic hardship, and uncertainty about the future. Many young people have given up on the hope of ever securing a job and discouragement has set in, while insecurity continues to threaten communities and disrupt lives. Corruption, injustice, and divisions along ethnic and religious lines are far from abating. These realities are not abstract, they are real and personal, affecting the dignity and the hope of our people.
In recent weeks, our hearts have been deeply wounded by fresh waves of violence, particularly in Jos and parts of Kaduna and Taraba States. Innocent men, women, and even children have lost their lives in brutal attacks that reflect a troubling persistence of terror and lawlessness. These incidents, alongside other patterns of insurgent activity across the country, point to a deep concern about the resurgence of violence that threatens national stability. As a Church, we mourn with the bereaved, stand in solidarity with the afflicted, and call urgently for decisive and just action to protect lives and restore the sanctity of human life.
Yet, the message of Easter speaks directly into these circumstances. The stone that sealed the tomb was rolled away, not by human effort, but by divine intervention. In the same way, we must not surrender to despair. As Christians, we are called to be people of hope, active participants in God’s renewing work in the world. Our hope must not be passive. It demands courage, integrity, and a commitment to a righteous way of living with God and with others. I therefore urge all Nigerians to reject corruption in all its forms, to be agents of peace in our communities, resisting the temptation to respond to hatred with hatred. Let us care for the poor, uplift the marginalized, and stand for truth even when it is inconvenient. Our piety must become visible in all our actions.
As we look ahead to the elections of 2027, this Easter season calls us to a deeper sense of responsibility as citizens. Democracy is not sustained by institutions alone, but by the moral character of the people. Therefore, I call on all Nigerians to prepare prayerfully and thoughtfully for this important moment in our national life. Do not sell your conscience for temporary gain. Do not be swayed by empty promises or divisive rhetoric. Instead, seek and vote for leaders who demonstrate integrity, competence, and a genuine commitment to the common good.
To those in positions of authority, I offer a solemn reminder: leadership is a sacred trust, a service to God and humanity.
The power you hold is given for the purpose of service, not self-enrichment. This Easter, I call you to repentance where necessary, and to renewed dedication to the welfare of all Nigerians. The cries of the poor and the suffering are not hidden from God.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Easter assures us that no suffering is wasted when entrusted to God. Even in our present challenges, the seeds of renewal are being sown. Let us cling to Christ, who is our hope, our peace, and our salvation. Let us pray for our nation with renewed fervor, trusting that God will guide us toward a future of justice, unity, and prosperity.
As a country, we need to learn to accept and respect religious differences. Christians and Muslims should begin to temper their tendency towards dominance, superiority complex and universalistic claims and pretensions. We must begin to acknowledge and propagate the fact of plurality of religions under one God. As matters stand, the right to be different in one’s conviction is apparently merely tolerated and not accepted and respected. There is a radical change of attitude in this regard.
There is no fear, even remotely, that Christianity could be wiped out in the country, neither is there any fear that Islam can be wiped out. Don’t forget that Christianity and Islam have coexisted in Nigeria over the centuries even during very difficult times.
What is the present circumstance is that certain groups of people are bent on controlling the land, power and resources in some sections of the country. These non-state actors, with tacit support and leverage from some quarters, are prepared to go to any length to actualize their penchant for subjugation and control.
We, Nigerians, Africans, Christians, Muslims – must learn to love each other just the way we are. We do not need to commit massacres or ethnic cleansing nor drive out all so called “foreigners” we consider a threat. We are all God’s children and that is how we should look at ourselves and others as well – Fulani, Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo, Tiv, Jukun, Kuteb, and others.
Unfortunately, entire communities have been wiped out in Southern Kaduna, Plateau, Benue and parts Niger, Borno Adamawa, Taraba, and Zamfara. Churches have been burned. Priests and Pastors kidnapped. villages overrun, Muslims attacked and killed while at prayer. These are not rumors. These are documented realities. We speak about a shared humanity, but humanity is empty when it refuses to name injustice.
So far, the government’s response to these incidences of violence and abuse of human rights has been weak at best and negligent at worst. The Government appears only after blood has been shed, after homes have been reduced to ashes, to “restore normalcy”, while survivors are left, to bury their departed dear ones and traumatized. The fear is palpable that matters may worsen if this sad situation is not nipped in the bud.
It is as a community, as a country that we are called to turn more fully towards the Lord and to walk together in his company. As Aung San Sui Kyi of Myanmar would always say, “We will get to our destination if we join hands.”
While speaking in Spain recently about the intervention of Donald Trump in the situation of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, etc., in Nigeria, I commended him for bringing to the fore the suffering of Christians in Nigeria, but added that it was not enough to speak out forcefully or to throw one bomb and expect the problems to be all solved. I asked for substantial measures to be taken such as providing to our military, intelligence information, crippling the sources of supplies of weapons, money, etc., to the terrorists, training Nigerian security officials to respond to these unprovoked attacks by supplying them with equipment or weapons that could stop these terrorists, bandits, kidnappers from taking lives or trivializing the dignity of persons they capture for ransom irrespective of tribe or creed. It was however misreported especially on the social media that I was calling on the United States’ President, Mr. Donald Trump, to supply weapons to Christians in Nigeria. My call to Mr. Trump was for strategic support, for logistics to cripple the activities of these perpetrators of evil and merchants of death. Both Christians and Muslims are victims of their nefarious activities, and the call was to see how all Nigerians can be saved from the hands of these persons who have consistently and persistently taken the lives of Nigerians, whether Christians or Muslims, without the slightest compunction, As a shepherd concerned with promoting the dignity of lives and the common good of all, it would be ethically irresponsible of me to call only for the defence of the lives of Christians in Nigeria or to ask for weapons to defend only Christian interests as popularized by some media. I stand for peace and the peaceful coexistence of all Nigerians. My book on “Peace, not War” points to my efforts of peaceful conflict resolution. The statement of Pope Leo XIV, on Palm Sunday that “God does not listen to the prayers of war mongers” is perfectly right. How can one destroy lives which are sacred and yet expect that God will accept his or her prayers?
May the Risen Christ bless Nigeria, strengthen our faith, and lead us from despair to hope, from division to unity, and from hardship to lasting social well-being. May the threats to peaceful coexistence by kidnappers, militants, terrorists, bandits and fraudsters, determined to make some parts of our country a wilderness be neutralized in the name of the risen Christ. Easter invites us to get out of pride, envy, anger, sloth, greed, gluttony and lust, and to accept a new heart, and a new birth. Start with yourself, now, and spread your joy and peace to your family, to your friends, to your workplace and to our entire country.
I wish you and all your loved ones a very happy Easter 2026. May the power of the risen Christ pull us and our nation away from danger and set us on the path that leads to enduring peace and prosperity.
***Ignatius Kaigama is the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja Diocese
ENDS***
