ABUJA, Nigeria — Cardinal John Onaiyekan has challenged Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu‘s administration to intensify efforts to end kidnapping and other violent crimes in Nigeria, insisting that the government has “no excuse” for failing to tackle the countryʼs worsening insecurity.
In an interview with ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, on the sidelines of the 25th anniversary celebration of the Catholic Men Organization of Nigeria, Onaiyekan said the recent rescue of abducted schoolchildren should serve as renewed motivation for authorities to dismantle kidnapping networks.
“We can be saying ‘thank God,’ we thank our president, and so on, but the kidnapping should not have happened in the first place if the government was serious about fighting insecurity. [It] has no excuse not to end kidnapping in Nigeria,” the 82-year-old cardinal said during the July 14 interview.
While expressing gratitude for the childrenʼs safe return after nearly two months in captivity, Onaiyekan, the archbishop emeritus of Abuja, emphasized that the release does not erase the trauma the children endured or the suffering of their families.
“We are all grateful to God. But the release has not cancelled the pain of having so many children taken away in captivity for almost two months,” the cardinal said.
He said the successful rescue does not provide evidence that Nigeriaʼs security crisis has been overcome, noting that many other victims remain in the hands of kidnappers and terrorist groups.
“I am praying and hoping that the government will not believe that we have done well now that these children have been released. We should not forget that there are others, maybe hundreds, out there that are still in the hands of terrorists asking for all kinds of ransom,” he said.
The cardinal questioned why kidnappers continue to operate camps where abducted persons are held for extended periods without being dismantled by security agencies.
“From the way I saw the children on the video, they were not sleeping in the bush all these 60 days,” he observed.
Onaiyekan added: “Very often, the kidnappers have their own arrangements. They sometimes run their own villages, and ordinary men and women are there taking care of those they have captured until they are ready to be released after negotiations and ransom paid.”
“If that is so, we still cannot understand that our government says they cannot deal with these criminal elements,” he said.
According to the Church leader, genuine progress against insecurity will only be achieved when Nigerians can move freely without fear.
“Until we can move around freely and safely in Nigeria, we cannot congratulate ourselves,” he said.
Expressing gratitude once again for the rescue of the children, Onaiyekan appealed to the Nigerian government to provide comprehensive rehabilitation for the rescued children, warning that the trauma of captivity could have lasting psychological and spiritual consequences.
“We hope that the government will realize that after 60 days under such circumstances, these children need special attention in terms of psycho-social and psycho-spiritual therapy to help them overcome the trauma they have been exposed to; some of them are as young as 2 years, which, if not properly addressed, will affect their future,” he said.
Reflecting on the silver jubilee of the Catholic Men Organization of Nigeria, Onaiyekan recalled helping to establish the organization 25 years ago.
“I was the person who brought them together in the Pope John Paul II Centre 25 years ago,” he said, explaining that the organization was founded after witnessing the success of the Catholic Women Organization (CWO) in mobilizing women to actively participate in the Church.
“The CWO was moving and doing wonderful things, appearing very well and mobilizing women. Somehow, the idea came that you have to do something for the men. Otherwise, they continue to just come to church and go back home, and you cannot count on them for any serious Church organization,” Onaiyekan said.
He called on Catholic Men Organization of Nigeria members to embrace their vocation as fathers by making their families true domestic churches rooted in faith and Christian values.
“The strength of the Church and society begins with the family; Catholic men are to lead by example through love, prayer, integrity, and service. Be good fathers in your families. Let your homes become domestic churches where Christ is truly present,” he said.
The cardinal emphasized that fatherhood extends beyond meeting material needs, urging Catholic men to nurture their families’ spiritual lives.
“A father should not only provide food for the family but should also lead them to God through prayer, good example, and faithful living,” he said.
He further encouraged members of the organization to remain committed to evangelization by witnessing to the Gospel in their homes, workplaces, and communities.
Onaiyekan urged Catholic Men Organization of Nigeria members to continue supporting the Churchʼs mission through active participation, charity, and moral leadership, saying their faithful witness would help build stronger families, a stronger Church, and a better society.
This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.
