Christian leaders call for emergency rule over insecurity

By Lukman Olabiyi

Prominent Christian leaders in the country have raised the alarm over Nigeria’s deepening security and economic crises, calling on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency, overhaul policing structures, and ensure credible elections.

The clerics warned that the country is “bleeding” and drifting towards instability.

The clerics, including former President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Dr Felix Omobude; founder of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Bishop Mike Okonkwo; former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor; and Prophet Isa El-Buba, spoke at a news conference on the state of the nation organised by Cross Campaign in Ikeja, Lagos.

In their address, they painted a grim picture of a country battling worsening insecurity, rising poverty, electoral malpractice, and weak governance, while urging urgent and decisive intervention.

Omobude, who spoke on governance and the rule of law, called for the independence of the judiciary, warning that democratic institutions must not be undermined. He stressed that the judiciary must be allowed to perform its duties without interference or favour or prejudice against anyone.

In his remarks, Okonkwo described Nigeria’s economic situation as dire, saying hardship had reached alarming levels across the country. He questioned whether those in authority were truly in touch with grassroots realities and warned that the situation had become an emergency. Citing the ₦70,000 minimum wage and fuel prices above ₦1,000 per litre, Okonkwo said many Nigerians could no longer afford necessities, including housing, healthcare, and transportation, while further decrying the poor state of healthcare, education, and infrastructure.

Speaking on the political process, Oritsejafor criticised what he described as the monetisation of democracy, arguing that elections in Nigeria had been reduced to financial contests rather than leadership based on competence and vision.

The ex-CAN president also warned that candidates who depend on borrowed funds or political sponsorship often prioritise repayment over governance, thereby resulting in a comatose structure.

Providing a stark assessment of the security situation, El-Buba said Nigeria is facing coordinated and escalating violence across multiple regions, insisting the crisis should no longer be downplayed.

While citing the recent killings in Plateau and mass-casualty incidents in other communities, he disclosed that millions of Nigerians had been displaced, with over 12 million people now living in internally displaced persons camps and many communities overrun by attackers.

Calling for urgent intervention, the league of clerics asserted that the Federal Government must take decisive action, declare a comprehensive state of emergency on security, and establish well-equipped state policing structures.