Clerics, Shehu Sani Slam Government Over Escalating Insecurity

A one-day peace summit held in Abuja on Friday quickly transformed into a strong indictment of Nigeria’s political leadership, as Senator Shehu Sani and top Christian and Muslim clerics condemned the government for failing to curb the rising wave of killings and kidnappings nationwide.

Sani, who convened the summit, accused the political class of abandoning citizens and suppressing the truth about worsening insecurity. He said despite huge defence budgets, frontline soldiers remain poorly equipped, while the public continues to suffer.

The former senator traced Nigeria’s abduction crisis over the past 15 years, from the Chibok schoolgirls to the Greenfield attack and, most recently, the kidnap of over 100 children in Niger State. He lamented that religious leaders are often treated as emergency responders only when crises spin out of control.

> “If your Christian brother is not your enemy, and your Imam brother is not your enemy, then who is the enemy? Those in government who refuse to act,” he said, insisting that truth and accountability are crucial to saving the country.

Clerics Demand Urgent Action

Archbishop Dr. James F. Malgit described the deepening humanitarian crisis in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, where attacks have displaced families, destroyed homes and churches, and left communities traumatized.

> “They have turned our women into widows, our children into cowards,” he said, calling for international support where government intervention has been insufficient.



Malam Abubakar Sede, Chief Imam of Kaduna Polytechnic, also denounced the political leadership, questioning the sincerity and competence of those in power. He warned that leaders will answer to God for allowing insecurity to worsen.

‘Nigeria Needs Action, Not Another Communiqué’

Sani rejected the release of a formal communiqué at the end of the summit, arguing that Nigerians are tired of documentation without results. He urged clerics to speak directly to the nation and warned that ignoring their concerns could push Nigerians to rely on foreign intervention.

Presidency Reacts

President Bola Tinubu had earlier expressed deep sorrow over the abduction of 25 schoolgirls in Kebbi State and the killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba and other soldiers in Borno State.

In a post on X, he wrote:

> “Their families, and the families of the kidnapped schoolgirls, are in my prayers… As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, I am depressed with the tragic death of our soldiers and officers on active duty.”


Tinubu said he has directed security agencies to act swiftly to rescue the abducted girls and tackle the recent surge in violent extremism.

He also urged communities to support security agencies with timely information that could prevent further attacks and protect vulnerable groups.