The Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, has issued a direct challenge to the federal government, urging them to seek international support if they are unable to stem the relentless tide of killings, kidnappings, and violence sweeping across the country.
Speaking during the consecration of fifteen bishops-elect in Abuja on Sunday, November 9, Primate Ndukuba emphasized that Nigeria’s security crisis has reached a breaking point that can no longer be ignored.
The Primate’s remarks follow a period of intense international scrutiny, coming just days after U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Christianity in Nigeria faces an existential threat.
“The persecution of Christians and the v!olence going on in this land are not what anybody can deny,” Ndukuba stated. He expressed deep worry that clergymen continue to be abducted, noting that several pastors and their families remain in captivity without any resolution.
He continued, “As I’m talking to you now, we have some of our pastors who are k!dnapped with their families taken from their church and they have not been released and it is not something we will deny and if our authority, the government, cannot handle it, it is good for them to seek help but at the due time, we will say what we should say.”
Beyond the security crisis, Primate Ndukuba also lamented the rising moral decline among young people, stressing that the character of the nation’s youth would ultimately shape the country’s future. He urged parents to model discipline and godliness, affirming his confidence that today’s youth possess the intelligence and creativity needed to overcome their generational challenges.
The church, he said, is actively responding: “So as a church, we continue to pray for them, we will continue to invest in them and nurture them, and that is why we have the mission to the youth, which we call the Joshua generation.”
The Anglican Primate expressed confidence that Nigerian youths, if properly guided, would remain resilient despite the pressures they faced. “We are believing that these ones will rise, in spite of the challenges around them and take on their generation and bring down the glory of God and stand by faith and conquer their promised land,” he declared.
Speaking on the newly consecrated bishops, the Primate urged them to embrace patience, sacrifice, and faithfulness in their calling, noting that leadership within the church demanded courage and dedication. “This is the call of God upon the lives of these servants and when Jesus calls us to follow him, he calls us to d!e to self and also take up our cross, be ready to suffer, be ready to do his will,” he stated.
Ndukuba offered a prayer that God would strengthen and guide them as they take up their new roles: “My prayer is that he who called them will stand by them and lead them all through life and that they too will be instruments in God’s hands in order to feed the flock, teach the world and proclaim the gospel boldly and soundly and faithfully throughout the world.”
