Christians in Nigeria told not to Fear following Security Alert to Churches ahead of Christmas

“If we cannot go for Christmas night vigil because of fear, then the Boko Haram ideology is succeeding,” he said, and added, “They don’t want Christian worship to happen. If people are too scared to go to Church, then their ideology is winning.”

The founder of the Psycho-Spiritual Institute  (PSI), a Catholic entity that specializes in psycho-trauma healing, also described the situation as a clear failure of government, insisting that Christians are being left particularly vulnerable. 

He questioned why warnings are often targeted at Christian worship, especially during Christmas, rather than robust security deployments to protect citizens.

“Why is there such a massive warning about attacks on Churches in the Middle Belt that usually come during Christmas? Why are Christians particularly being warned if there is no targeting of them?” Fr. Ehusani posed.

He expressed concern over Nigeria’s deteriorating security situation, particularly the current security situation as Christmas approaches. 

“What we are getting now are security alerts. Don’t hold night vigils. If you must worship, don’t stay long. Be on alert. That is sad, because we are not supposed to be the ones protecting ourselves. We are not armed,” he said. 

Fr. Ehusani pointed to the continued captivity of nearly 200 schoolchildren in St. Mary Catholic School in Niger State as Nigerians prepare to celebrate Christmas.

“What quality of Christmas celebration can we have knowing that almost 200 children are still in captivity?” he posed.

“Those alerts are very annoying,” the Nigerian Catholic Priest said, and added that the security alerts “show an inability to protect people.”

Against this backdrop, Fr. Ehusani encouraged Nigerians not to be overwhelmed by fear or despair, noting that the Christian faith has always been tested under difficult circumstances. 

“Our God lives. Our Redeemer lives; He will see us through this midnight. It shall soon be daytime, and those who hold on to him and to righteousness will experience deliverance,” Fr. Ehusani said.

While calling for hope, the Nigerian Catholic Priest also emphasized that faith does not absolve leaders of responsibility. 

He urged citizens to continue demanding accountability from those in authority, while trusting that evil cannot triumph forever.

“Light will outshine darkness, good will overcome evil, and righteousness will prevail. The God of Jesus Christ is the overarching controller of the universe. Nothing happens unless he permits it, and even when he permits it, he knows how to turn it to good,” he said. 

The member of the Clergy of Nigeria’s Catholic Diocese of Lokoja recalled that persecution often strengthened the Church rather than destroying it.

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“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church. It was during the first 300 years of intense persecution that Christianity spread across the world,” he said.

The Nigerian Catholic official added, “I am convinced that even these tragedies, this violence and persecution, God has plans to turn them to good for his own glory and for the benefit of humanity.”

He cautioned Christians against focusing only on present suffering, urging them to adopt an eternal perspective.

“With God, a thousand years is like a day, don’t give up by looking only at today. Think of eternity and of what our eternal God is capable of doing,” Fr. Ehusani said.

He urged Nigerians not to surrender to fear or hatred but have hope during Christmas.

“If any of us must sacrifice comfort or even life for the sake of the Gospel, we will not be the first. We have a cloud of witnesses before us. God has always used sacrifice to transform humanity,” he said. 

He called for prayers for peace in Nigeria and the world, insisting that hope, faith, and resilience remain the strongest responses to fear.