Declare state of emergency on insecurity – Nigerian clerics urge FG

By Adeola Ogunrinde

Prominent Christian leaders on Monday raised an 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, amid warning 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 for an urgent, decisive intervention.

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

In his remarks, Okonkwo described Nigeria’s economic situation as dire, saying hardship had reached alarming levels across the country, questioning whether those in authority were truly in touch with grassroots realities and warning 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 basic necessities, including housing, healthcare and transportation amid 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 equally warned that candidates who depend on borrowed funds or political sponsorship often prioritise repayment over governance, hence having 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 with 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 state policing structures that are well equipped.