Catholic Bishop warns FG in opposition to treating bandits with child gloves

…says Nigeria is descending into chaos

…Bemoans abduction of Kebbi ladies

The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Dr. Alfred Adewale Martins has referred to as for extra pressing official measures to curb the alarming fee of insecurity throughout the nation.

He stated the festering terrorists’ assaults in elements of the nation and the mass killing of harmless Nigerians in current occasions, have underlined the necessity for the federal authorities and the Safety Companies to, as a matter of urgency, determine and deal decisively with the terrorists and their sponsors.

Archbishop Martins lamented the predawn assault on Monday, 17 November, 2025, on the Authorities Ladies Complete Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, the place 25 schoolgirls have been violently taken from their dormitory, and an identical assault on St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Agwara Native Authorities Space of Niger State on Friday, 21 November 2025, the place some college students have been additionally kidnapped. These incidents, he stated, are regrettably harking back to the kidnapping of the Chibok girls in April 2014, which nonetheless stirs the nation to the core.

In the identical vein, he condemned the kidnapping of a Catholic priest, Father Bobbo Paschal, from St. Stephen Catholic Church in Kushe Gudgu, Kaduna State. Throughout this raid, Gideon Markus, the brother of one other native priest, was killed as he tried to intervene.  These assaults, he famous, reveal the brazen audacity of those that search to terrorize our nation.

“It’s a matter of nice concern that there was a spike within the circumstances of terrorist assaults throughout the nation in current occasions, particularly for the reason that menace made by President Donald Trump. It appears there are some components who’re making deliberate efforts to throw this nation into chaos. For example, how does one describe the style by which the varsity ladies have been kidnapped, the brutal homicide of a employees member, the varsity’s Vice Principal and Chief Safety Officer, Hassan Yakubu Makuku, who was shot when assailants broke into his residence on the varsity premises? It’s unhappy that these youngsters, aged roughly 12 to 17, have been seized beneath the quilt of darkness by gunmen who scaled the varsity fence, exchanged gunfire with police, and in the end took these harmless daughters away into the forests. We’re heartened that one scholar has escaped and returned house, however we stay deeply troubled in regards to the security and well-being of the 24 who stay in captivity.”

In response to him, the current killing of Muhammad Uba, a Normal within the military, by the terrorists and the grotesque assault of worshippers at a Church in Eruku, Kwara State, have additional proven that “extra must be carried out to safe the lives and properties of our residents wherever they might be dwelling”.

“If the terrorists can kill an entire serving military normal in such a brazen method, I’m wondering how safe the typical residents of this nation are? It actually exhibits that there are causes for everybody to be involved about their safety.”

The Archbishop warned that point was ticking quick and authorities in any respect ranges together with the safety companies have to implement their constitutional mandate of defending the lives and properties of the residents, as they wanted to behave quick to regain the boldness and belief of all residents.

Whereas acknowledging the assurances that the navy have been on their readiness to safe all Nigerians, he puzzled why they proceed to seem powerless within the face of the incessant assaults.

He subsequently tasked the Tinubu-led administration to, as a matter of constitutional responsibility, carry house all those that are within the palms of those brazen terrorists.

He equally urged the political class to unite and help the safety companies of their efforts to defeat the terrorists, warning that no stone must be left unturned to carry the culprits and their sponsors to justice.