Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) expresses its profound outrage and sorrow at the ongoing assault on human life and dignity.
1 – The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) (www.CSNigeria.org) decries the relentless wave of killings and abductions that continue to plague our nation. After years of repeated complaints and unfulfilled promises, violence persists unchecked, leaving more communities devastated and citizens weary of empty condolences that do not guarantee their safety. This renewed cycle of mass violence has turned our country into a field of grief, and CSN expresses its profound outrage and sorrow at the ongoing assault on human life and dignity.
2 – Just between late January into February 2026, the recurring carnage has become a stain on the conscience of our nation. How can it be justified that, outside of war, over 160 innocent civilians were slaughtered in one coordinated attack in Woro, Kwara State? How do we explain the repeated killings and abductions in Agwara and Tungan Gero in Niger State, the wiping out of entire farming communities in Katsina and Kaduna, and the ongoing violence in Borno? This is not ‘instability’ but a massacre allowed by silence and a betrayal of every Nigerian’s right to live in peace.
3 – The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria reminds our leaders that the Constitution is not a lofty document of ideals but a binding covenant with the people. When citizens are slaughtered with impunity and communities live in perpetual fear, the very foundation of governance is undermined. A government that struggles unsuccessfully to safeguard its people risks diminishing its moral authority to lead.
4 – Silence in the face of such horror as we now have in Nigeria can hardly escape being labelled as complicit. Every unaddressed attack, every unpunished crime, and every unfulfilled promise deepens the wound of mistrust between the people and those entrusted with their protection. Nigeria cannot afford to normalise bloodshed or treat mass killings as routine tragedies.
5 – It is necessary to remind ourselves that Nigeria is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, both of which affirm the right to life as fundamental and non‑negotiable. Yet, the state continues to treat this right as optional, allowing bloodshed to persist unchecked.
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