“We are not safe”: Cardinal Onaiyekan on Nigeria’s Persistent Insecurity

Jos, 26 November, 2025 / 5:56 PM

John Cardinal Onaiyekan has expressed concern about Nigeria’s deepening insecurity, faulting the government’s inaction and urging a national reawakening.

In an interview with ACI Africa on the sidelines of Abuja Archdiocesan Garki Deanery Day, Cardinal Onaiyekan said the “relentless violence” exposes a government unable to protect its citizens.

“We are not safe,” the Nigerian Cardinal told ACI Africa on November 24, describing the latest attack on St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora as “one more attack after many others.” 

He emphasized that the frequency of kidnappings and killings has become alarming, noting that the incident took place “in the very interior, almost within the game reserve of Kainji,” an isolated zone he knows well from his years of pastoral work. 

The Archbishop Emeritus of Nigeria’s Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja painted a grim picture of remote communities where schools are forced to operate boarding facilities because children “cannot trek 10 miles, 20 miles” daily. 

He lamented that despite the Catholic Church’s efforts to provide education in rural areas, terrorists continue to break into schools to abduct children. 

“When the Church has gone into all this effort to make school available, and terrorists come to carry away their children, thereby discouraging parents from sending their children to school, it is a pity,” he said.

Cardinal Onaiyekan faulted government promises to trace kidnapped students, saying such declarations have become empty rhetoric.

“Under normal circumstances, you cannot carry away 50 children without any trace. If the government cannot trace them, shame on them. They should not be called government,” he said. 

He added, “If they are not able to keep us safe, then the government has failed, and there’s no excuse for that.”

Cardinal Onaiyekan dismissed the trend of Nigerian officials seeking help abroad to solve basic security challenges, saying, “Other countries have kept their own people safe. You cannot keep your own safe by going to look for assistance. We have enough.” 

The Nigerian Cardinal questioned whether internal sabotage might be undermining the nation’s security architecture, posing, “Is it true that there are people in government who are promoting terrorism? Is it true that there are ministers who were members of Boko Haram? That seems to be the only way you can explain why the government cannot make us safe.”

He called for transparency and decisive action to address the insecurity in Nigeria, urging Nigerians to “rise up and defend ourselves” if leaders remain complacent.

Cardinal Onaiyekan emphasized that the violence is not a Christian-versus-Muslim conflict but a national security crisis driven by criminality. 

“Muslims are also being killed. It is a matter of criminals taking control of our country,” he said.

He warned that infrastructure projects, including the newly built roads and flyovers in Abuja, “will become useless if there is no security,” stressing that no country overrun by terrorists can attract foreign investors.

The 81-year-old Nigerian Cardinal faulted Nigerian lawmakers for neglecting their constitutional responsibilities while collecting huge salaries. 

“Half of the seats are always empty. They are not interested in doing the work. They just want to collect money, get contracts, and make their families happy while leaving the country the way it is,” he said.

The Cardinal rejected attempts to blame religious leaders, saying: “We are not the ones in charge of the nation.”

He advised communities like those in Benue to defend their land and people, but warned against expecting Christians from other regions to fight on their behalf. 

“Christians are not going to come and defend you, but you have a right to defend yourselves as citizens of a free country,” he said.