From Femi Mustapha, in Kaduna
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has felicitated with Christians in Nigeria and worldwide on the celebration of the 2025 Easter Season and prayed for Nigeria’s return to peace, security, and economic prosperity.
Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, the National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, said in a statement that in solidarity, the ACF rejoices with all on the solemn occasion and wishes all God’s abundant mercies and Grace.
According to the statement, “ACF is not unaware that the 2025 Easter Season is being celebrated amid continuing daunting existential socioeconomic, political, and, most worryingly, security and criminality challenges.”
The statement further stated that communities in Benue, Borno, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Plateau, Zamfara, and other states, are daily visited with debilitating and senseless deaths, destruction, dislocation, tears, and fractured intergroup relations.
The statement said that in addition to the tragedy “are monstrous corruption, the selfishness of leaders, nepotism, political insensitivity, inequities, impunity, lack of frugality, provocative and ostentatious lifestyles of political and other office holders, etc.”
“Doubtless, living conditions are dire, particularly in the northern states and in Nigeria in general. The needed public policy responses to the problems have been grossly inadequate and far from being effective and satisfactory. Still, in the spirit of the occasion,
“ACF calls on the Christian brethren to continue to pray for peace, security, and economic recovery for Nigeria, for God’s intercession so that Nigeria’s leaders are re-endowed with faith, love for ordinary citizens, and the wisdom to chart Nigeria to the path to righteousness and glory.
“ACF also prays to Almighty God to further re-energize the National Security agencies so that they crush the reigns of terror, criminality, and insecurity that non-state actors have been subjecting the people to and which seek to destabilize Arewa communities and Nigeria at large; turn the hearts of the terror merchants and their sponsors away from their senseless and callous criminality.
“The Socio-Cultural organizations also pray for the conditions that allow and embolden the evil terror merchants to be overcome. Believing that a more peaceful, prosperous, and socially harmonious Arewa, and Nigeria, is still possible and plausible.”
ACF said it remains hopeful that the communities will emerge more resilient, stronger, hospitable, and even more accommodative for all, as opposed to the current culture of pervasive anger, mutual mistrust, intolerance, despair, and hopelessness.
