On Wednesday, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) expressed concern over worsening socio-economic and political challenges in the country and called on the Federal Government to take urgent action.

The bishops decried persistent insecurity, loss of lives, socio-economic sabotage and poor leadership as major causes of the nation’s challenges.

The concerns were contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the CBCN’s First Plenary Meeting held from February 19 to 26, 2026. The communiqué was signed by Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji of Owerri, outgoing CBCN President, and Bishop Donatus Ogun of Uromi, outgoing Secretary of the Conference.

Part of the communiqué read:

“We continue to experience tragic events of senseless massacre, mass burials, endless tears, and grief. There are incidents of mass murders in different communities. Nigeria is richly blessed with abundant mineral resources. With good leadership, these resources would have been contributing significantly to our national economic growth and development.

“Yet, trillions of naira are annually lost to bunkering and illegal mining owing to banditry, kidnapping and other organised crimes in parts of our country. We observe that a major cause of our problem as a nation is poor leadership and the wrong idea of politics… Bad leadership has caused systemic damage showing up in a worsening economy, widespread and persistent insecurity, and extreme poverty.”

Speaking in an interview first aired on Arise TV, a leading member of the CBCN,John Onaiyekan, Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Abuja, addressed issues raised in the communiqué. Excerpts:

Bishops’ Conference says Nigeria is drifting into insecurity, economic sabotage and democratic decline. Is the country already deep in crisis or approaching one?

Before I answer that question, permit me to remind viewers, and those in power who may be listening, that this communiqué is not a political statement. It is a document fashioned with deep love for Nigeria, honesty and Christian faith. Imagine almost 70 prelates from different parts of Nigeria endorsing this communiqué. We believe we are reflecting what people are saying on the ground.

Governments should not see this as the ranting of political organisations. We have no intention of taking over government. Our role is to speak truth to power. We are not afraid to voice the truth clearly.

I have lived in this country for 82 years. This is not the country we lived in before. While there are areas of progress, we are particularly sad about political institutions.

Why?

Elections. We studied data from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). From 1999 till now, voter apathy has worsened with every election. People no longer trust the system.

Your communiqué blames bad leadership and a distorted understanding of politics. What has gone wrong?

This did not happen in one day, and it did not happen because of President Bola Tinubu alone. In the last election, only about 23 per cent of registered voters participated. That means leaders are elected by a minority. What kind of democracy is that?

Is voter apathy due to loss of faith in the system?

Certainly. Some people were not allowed to vote. Many were unable to collect voter cards. Others believe their votes will not count. If we truly want democracy, we must be sincere about it.

The communiqué raises concerns about insecurity and perceived government complicity. Is government soft on terror?

One would expect the National Assembly to be anxious about reviewing the electoral law, but that urgency is not evident. On insecurity, government keeps saying it is on top of the situation, but reality suggests otherwise.

We once raised insecurity concerns at the Villa. We were told how safe the country had become, and we wondered if we were in the same Nigeria.

You acknowledged the declaration of a security emergency but said results remain grim. Why?

We expected a change of attitude and decisive action. But we have not seen it. Nigerians are not asking for too much. We should not be living in a country where villagers are unsafe. We cannot continue like this.

You mentioned oil bunkering, illegal mining and food importation. Is this policy failure or lack of political will?

Illegal mining is depriving Nigeria of resources and destroying communities. These activities cannot happen without complicity. Many attacks displacing villagers are to make way for large-scale mining.

On food, if government flooded the market with imports, it is the wrong decision. That money should have supported Nigerian farmers.

If you had the president’s ear tonight, what immediate actions would you demand?

First, security. Nigerians must be safe. Second, corruption. In Nigeria, corrupt people often get away with it, and that is wrong. Third, peaceful coexistence. Religion and ethnicity have polarised the nation, but the majority of Nigerians want to live together in peace. We must deal decisively with those causing division.