Cleric blames insecurity on lack of political will, not military weakness

By : Solomon Azu

Date: 8 January 2026 4:20am WAT

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A Calabar-based cleric, Josef Bassey

A Calabar-based cleric, Josef Bassey

A Calabar-based cleric, Josef Bassey, has said Nigeria’s persistent insecurity is not a result of military weakness but a lack of political will and courage to confront vested interests.

Bassey, the leader of the Cross River State Christian Leaders Forum and spiritual head of God’s Heritage Nation, stated this yesterday during an interview with journalists in Calabar.

He said the killings of Christians in Nigeria had continued for years despite repeated denials by some individuals and groups, describing the situation as genocide.

According to him, the attacks had become so frequent that they were now treated as routine, losing news value because they occur daily without consequences or a meaningful response from authorities.

“However, a renewed global attention led by the United States has given victims confidence that their cries could finally be heard,” he said. He added, “The normalisation of violence has left many Christians feeling helpless and abandoned, leaving many of them as victims in situations with no hope of rescue.”

The cleric also said some Nigerians deny that genocide is taking place out of fear for their lives, warning that silence is often driven by self-preservation rather than the truth.

He maintained that no Christian living in Nigeria could genuinely claim ignorance of what he described as systematic killings and targeted attacks against believers.

Commenting on recent United States airstrikes in Sokoto State, Bassey said military operations are intelligence-driven and that insurgency cannot be ended without targeting the leadership and intelligence structures coordinating violence across regions.

He urged the Federal Government to do more for citizens in the new year, particularly in the areas of security and welfare, and to create a conducive environment that people can trust and within which their labour and talents can thrive.

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