Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Abuja (Agenzia Fides) – “We support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s measures to address the security crisis, but more needs to be done,” the Nigerian bishops declared in a joint concluding document presented at the end of their Plenary Assembly, held in Abuja from February 19 to 26. Therefore, it is appropriate “to declare a national security emergency, order the recruitment of more security personnel, and take further far-reaching measures,” the bishops wrote. The measures adopted by the government have “prompted the military to intensify operations against terrorists in the country.” “However,” the bishops’ conference emphasized, “Nigeria continues to face major security challenges.” The bishops recall the ongoing “massacres in several communities, particularly in the villages of Woro and Nuku in Kwara State, where over 200 people, both Christians and Muslims, were brutally murdered by dozens of Islamist jihadists because they refused to convert to fundamentalist Islam.” The document sent to Fides, also mentions recent incidents in other parts of the country; specifically, “in the northern region and the middle belt, there are cases of attacks and mass killings involving many students, pupils and worshippers.” Because of the violence, the bishops state, “many farmers cannot go to their farms for fear of being injured or killed, many other persons are still displaced from their homes and business areas, owing to the activities of insurgents and bandits. In all, the gunmen operate brazenly, freely and unchallenged.”
To address the situation, the bishops propose, in addition to improving intelligence structures and the technical equipment of the security forces, a review of certain government policies. They are calling in particular for a swift process to bring the perpetrators and their accomplices to justice. “The government is complicit when there is delay in the prosecution of arrested terrorists or when there is outright pardon and reintegration of so-called repentant Boko Haram adherents and other criminals into the security forces,” the statement reads.
Although they do not explicitly mention it, the bishops express concern about the assistance the Trump administration has offered Nigeria in combating jihadist groups (it has sent a total of about 200 “military advisors”). “While external help is commendable and appreciated, the security and destiny of our nation are in our hands, and we do have the wherewithal to achieve them, with the help of God,” they declare.
The Bishops’ Conference also addresses the phenomenon of illegal mining, which in Nigeria, as in other parts of Africa, not only robs everyone of their wealth but also pollutes and destroys the environment. In the case of Nigeria, the bishops lament that criminal groups exploiting illegal mines “use proceeds from the sale of minerals, such as gold and lithium, to fund terrorist activities across the country.”
To combat this phenomenon, Nigeria has created a unit of “Mining Marshals.” According to the bishops, however, the number of these officers must be increased, they must be deployed throughout Nigeria, and they should be equipped with modern technologies such as drones and artificial intelligence systems “to monitor remote and high-risk mining sites.” (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 26/2/2026)
