Akahi News learnt that the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has warned that Nigeria is drifting dangerously amid what he described as “endless turbulence.” He cautioned that the country could slide into a deeper crisis if urgent steps are not taken to restore trust, security, and good governance.

In his 2026 Easter message issued on Sunday and titled “Faith and Hope in Times of Turbulence,” Kukah painted a grim picture of a nation weighed down by insecurity, economic hardship, and leadership challenges. This is not the usual Easter feel-good message. This is a prophetic alarm.

‘Turbulence is Nigeria’s surname’

Akahi News gathered that the cleric declared bluntly: “Turbulence is Nigeria’s surname.” He described the country as one trapped in a cycle of instability worsened by what he called “self-generated turbulence by the local elites.” In other words, Nigerians are not merely victims of bad luck. They are victims of bad leadership—much of it homegrown.

He said the worsening security situation had spiralled into a humanitarian crisis, with thousands killed, millions displaced, and several communities devastated by violence. “After over 20 years and well over 20,000 corpses, the grim harvester still roams freely across the country,” Kukah said.

Twenty thousand corpses. That number is not a statistic. It is a graveyard without headstones. And the harvester, Kukah warns, has not tired.

“For now, our nation has become what the late Pope Francis referred to as a field hospital.” A field hospital is where the wounded are treated. But in Nigeria’s case, the wounded keep coming, and the doctors are either absent or complicit.

Ordinary citizens turning to bandits

Kukah warned that growing distrust in the military and other government institutions is pushing desperate citizens into dangerous alliances, including collaboration with criminal elements. That is a shocking admission. But is it surprising?

“Years of fatigue have lured ordinary citizens into the treacherous embrace of bandits,” he said, noting that some individuals now serve as informants, thereby “trading the future of their families and communities.” When citizens prefer bandits to security forces, something has gone terribly wrong.

Akahi News had earlier reported that in many parts of the North-West and North-Central, bandits have become parallel governments. Kukah is saying that this did not happen overnight. It happened because the state abandoned its people.

Unredeemed promissory notes and failing governance

Addressing governance issues, Kukah accused Nigeria’s political elite of failing to fulfil campaign promises, leaving millions of citizens in poverty and many young people without hope for a better future. “The Nigerian landscape is still riddled with unredeemed promissory notes,” he said.

“Unemployment is smothering the dreams of young people in the cradles of their hope.” That is poetic. And devastating. A young person whose dream dies before it is born is a ticking time bomb. Nigeria has millions of such bombs.

He criticised short-term relief interventions, arguing that such measures reflect deeper systemic failures in governance and planning. “Merely distributing food is an admission of the failure of our nation to develop robust and aggressive agricultural plans capable of ending hunger,” he said.

Here is the question that follows: If food distribution is an admission of failure, then the current government has admitted failure many times over. Where is the agricultural revolution?

Struck down but not destroyed

Despite the bleak outlook, Kukah urged Nigerians, particularly Christians, not to give in to despair but to remain steadfast in faith and moral responsibility. “We may be struck down, but we cannot be destroyed,” he said, while emphasising the need to strike a balance between the right to self-defence and the pursuit of peace.

He also urged citizens to play active roles in rebuilding the country, rather than assigning blame solely to leaders. “It is a great mistake for us to ignore what role each and every one of us can play. Let us not surrender to despair, as we could become guilty bystanders.”

Drawing on biblical imagery, the cleric expressed optimism that Nigeria could overcome its present challenges through faith, unity, and collective action. “The boat of our nation is threatening to sink, yet even in his sleep, he is awake to command the storm to be still,” he said.

He concluded with a call for both prayer and practical action towards national renewal. “We pray but must also work hard, believing that the walls created by war and division will ultimately fall.”

The message comes as Nigerians celebrate Easter amid persistent security concerns, rising cost of living, and growing worries about national unity and stability. Kukah has spoken. The question is whether anyone in power is listening.

Fact summary box:
– Speaker: Bishop Matthew Kukah, Catholic Diocese of Sokoto
– Occasion: Easter 2026 message (“Faith and Hope in Times of Turbulence”)
– Core warning: Nigeria drifting dangerously; urgent steps needed on trust, security, governance
– Key phrase: “Turbulence is Nigeria’s surname”
– Security assessment: Over 20 years, well over 20,000 corpses; grim harvester still roams freely
– Humanitarian impact: Thousands killed, millions displaced, communities devastated
– Disturbing trend: Ordinary citizens becoming informants for bandits due to fatigue and distrust of institutions
– Governance criticism: “Riddled with unredeemed promissory notes”; unemployment smothering youth dreams
– On food distribution: “Merely distributing food is an admission of failure”
– Call to citizens: Do not be guilty bystanders; play active role in rebuilding
– Biblical imagery: Boat threatening to sink; Christ commands storm to be still
– Final balance: Prayer and practical work needed for national renewal