The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, has urged government to develop a comprehensive work plan to tackle widespread insecurity across the country.

Bishop Kukah, in his 2024 Christmas message on Wednesday, said addressing the underlying issues of corruption, unemployment, and violent religious extremism was crucial to winning the war against insecurity.

“Insecurity cannot be overcome without addressing unemployment and violent religious extremism, which create conditions for violence,” he said.

He noted that some modest progress had been made in addressing the security challenges facing the country, but said more needed to be done to ensure the safety and well-being of citizens.

Bishop Kukah also called for the enforcement of laws to prosecute perpetrators of religious extremism, whom he described as criminals and murderers.

At Christmas, Bishop Kukah reminded Christians of their place as the light of the world, encouraging them to remain resolute in their faith and moral responsibilities regardless of the nation’s systemic failures.

The Catholic cleric said the failures of the system – the Constitution, the judiciary, the police, or public servants – were not an excuse for wrongdoing.

“I appeal to Christians not to forget that we are the light of the world, the city on the hill that cannot be hidden. Christians must not allow the structural weaknesses, the foibles and failures of the Nigerian state, to become an excuse for doing wrong,” Kukah said.

“We cannot continue to blame the Constitution, the Judiciary, the Police, or other public servants for the corruption in our society,” he said.

He admonished Christians to uphold their baptismal vows and prioritise divine law over human frameworks, such as the Constitution.

Reacting to the recent stampedes in Ibadan, Oyo State; Okija, Anambra State, and Abuja, which cost the lives of about 70 persons, Kukah said they were a result of government failures and a metaphor for the desperate situation that citizens have been thrown into.

“The tragedies that occurred in Okija, Ibadan, and Abuja where innocent people lost their lives in stampedes at food distribution points are a metaphor for the situation of desperation that citizens have been thrown into,” Kukah said.

“The failures of government to respond concretely toward ending the horrible crisis of hunger and desperation has created the conditions for these avoidable tragedies. Citizens are lapsing into despair,” he said.

He called on government to work more closely with institutions that help to promote the common good, such as the Catholic Church with a long history of providing support to the needy and vulnerable.

“The government must collaborate more effectively with institutions that promote the common good to prevent such loss of life,” he said.

He prayed God to grant eternal rest to the souls of those who lost their lives in the stampedes and bring consolation to their families.

“As we celebrate Christmas, let us open our hearts and recommit to living the ideals Jesus taught us. May this season bring joy, and may the new year bring blessings,” he said.