By Samson Adeyanju
The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), has decried the persistent wave of killings and abductions across the country, describing Nigeria as a “slaughterhouse” and calling for an urgent overhaul of the nation’s security architecture.
In a statement titled “The Cry of the Innocent: Stop this Slaughterhouse in Nigeria!” dated February 7, 2026, co-signed by the Secretary General, Very Rev. Fr. Michael Banjo, and the National Director of Social Communications, Very Rev. Fr. Michael Nsikak Umoh, CSN expressed outrage over what it described as a renewed cycle of mass violence that has left communities devastated and citizens weary of repeated condolences without meaningful protection.
The Catholic body cited several recent attacks between late January and early February 2026, including a coordinated assault in Woro, Kwara State, where over 160 civilians were reportedly killed.
It also referenced recurring killings and abductions in Agwara and Tungan Gero in Niger State, the destruction of farming communities in Katsina and Kaduna, and continued violence in Borno.
According to the CSN, the situation has gone beyond “instability,” describing it as “a massacre allowed by silence” and a betrayal of every Nigerian’s right to live in peace.
The Secretariat reminded leaders that the Constitution is a binding covenant with the people, stressing that when citizens are slaughtered with impunity and communities live in fear, the foundation of governance is undermined.
It warned that silence in the face of such violence could be seen as complicity, adding that every unaddressed attack, unpunished crime, and unfulfilled promise deepens mistrust between the people and those entrusted with their protection.
The CSN also referenced Nigeria’s commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, both of which affirm the right to life as fundamental and non-negotiable.
To curb the violence, the Catholic Secretariat urged the Federal Government to revisit its security strategies by redeploying security forces from “ceremonial press centers” to frontline communities under siege and seeking assistance from anywhere it is safely available.
It also called for the identification and prosecution of sponsors and enablers of terror regardless of their political, religious, or social status, and demanded the arrest and punishment of perpetrators to end impunity.
The CSN further urged government to provide urgent relief, psychosocial care, and compensation to victims and their families, while rebuilding destroyed communities to restore hope and dignity.
