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

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.”

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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. 

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“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. 

Abah Anthony John is a Nigerian Catholic journalist with passion for Church communication and media apostolate. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Benue State University, Makurdi in Benue State Nigeria. He has a background in print, electronic and multi-media production.