By Citizen Bolaji O. Akinyemi
Apostle and Nation Builder
Nigeria woke up yet again to the familiar sound of grief—another community, another pool of innocent blood, another government response wrapped in condemnation and curfew. The killing at Angwan Rukuba in Jos North is not an isolated tragedy; it is a continuation of a pattern that has outlived excuses, outgrown political spin, and now confronts the conscience of both the State and the Church.
A 48-hour curfew has been declared. Movement restricted. Silence enforced. But curfew cannot cure bloodshed. It cannot answer the piercing question rising from the ground: who is killing Nigerians, and why does it continue unabated?
Even more troubling is the reaction from the community itself. The refusal of grieving residents to release the bodies of their loved ones speaks to something deeper than anger—it speaks to distrust. A people who fear that even in death, truth may be manipulated. A people who no longer believe that justice will follow tragedy. This is where we are as a nation.
And then comes today.
Providence—or perhaps divine orchestration—has placed the Cross Campaign at the center of this moment. Convened by Rev. Yomi Kasali and Lawrence Achidume, this Easter media parley was already positioned to interrogate the state of the nation. But the blood on the Plateau has now given it a sharper urgency, a prophetic edge that cannot be ignored.
This is no longer just a meeting. It is a test.
At the forefront stand fathers of faith—Bishop Mike Okonkwo, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, and Dr Felix Omobude—men whose voices have shaped the spiritual direction of millions. History has handed them a moment that will define not just their legacy, but the moral posture of the Nigerian Church in a time of national bleeding.
The question before them is simple, yet weighty: Will the Church speak with courage, or retreat into political correctness?
For too long, diplomacy has replaced truth. Carefully worded statements have taken the place of righteous outrage. The fear of offending power has muted the cry for justice. Meanwhile, the killing fields expand—from Plateau to Benue, from Southern Kaduna to parts of the North East and beyond.
Let us be honest: the language we avoid does not change the reality we face. Whether one calls it persecution, targeted violence, or systemic failure, the outcome remains the same—lives are lost, communities are broken, and faith is tested under fire.
But beyond terminology lies responsibility.
The Church in Nigeria is not a powerless institution. It is arguably the most organized, most influential, and most widespread moral force in the nation. What it chooses to say—or not say—shapes public perception, influences political will, and either comforts the afflicted or abandons them.
Silence, at this point, is no longer neutrality. It is complicity.
This is why today’s gathering must rise above ceremony. It must become a council of conscience. A moment where fathers do not just bless the land, but confront its bleeding wounds. A platform where truth is spoken without fear, and where the demand for justice is not negotiated behind closed doors.
The government has a duty to secure lives and property. On that, there is no debate. But when the State appears overwhelmed, slow, or selective, the moral burden shifts even more heavily on the Church—not to replace government, but to awaken it. To call it to order. To remind it that power is a trust, not a shield for failure.
The Cross we speak about in this season is not decorative. It is symbolic of sacrifice, of truth, of standing firm in the face of injustice. If the Church will wear the Cross, then it must also bear its implications.
Plateau is calling. The blood is speaking. The nation is watching.
And history is waiting to record whether, in this defining hour, the fathers of faith rose with courage—or remained within the safe boundaries of polite religion.
The time for careful language has passed.
This is the Church’s hour of decision.
