By Luminous Jannamike
ABUJA – The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly condemned the attack on Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State, saying the Federal Government’s defensive posture on Nigeria’s security crisis is gradually turning the once-dismissed ‘Christian genocide’ narrative into a dangerous self-fulfilling prophecy.
The party made its position known in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, who faulted the Tinubu administration for responding to rising insecurity with denial rather than decisive action.
According to Abdullahi, the killing of worshippers and the abduction of several others, including the pastor, during a church service, reflects how deeply insecurity has taken root across the country.
“This tragedy is another painful reminder of the pervasive insecurity that has taken roots across the country,” the ADC stated.
The incident, which happened just hours after gunmen killed school officials and kidnapped students in Kebbi State, paints a troubling picture, the party said. To the ADC, the frequency and boldness of these attacks suggest that criminals now operate with little fear of consequences.
“This particularly brutal attack and abduction gives the impression that this government has lost control and Nigerians now live at the mercy of gunmen who are now emboldened by government’s failure to act decisively,” Abdullahi said.
The party expressed deep concern that the ‘Christian genocide’ claim, once dismissed as alarmist, has begun to gain validity because the government has refused to confront the issue honestly.
“The Christian genocide narrative, which we dismissed when it was first proposed, is gradually becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy due to the failure of the government to conduct an honest appraisal of the problem,” it warned.
The ADC also criticised a recent comment by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, who reportedly claimed that only 177 Christians had been killed in the last five years.
Abdullahi described the comment as insensitive and reflective of a government that does not grasp the depth of the crisis.
We find this statement unfortunate and offensive. And if it reflects the thinking within the Federal Government, such a statement would explain why this government has failed to address the problem and why they cannot be trusted to solve it,” the party said.
He added that reducing human lives to statistics only diminishes the pain of victims and their families, especially when the violence is recorded in places of worship.
“Deaths cannot be reduced to numbers. It does not matter how many people have been killed or what religion or language they speak. As seen in the video on Eruku church attack, one poor old woman, cut down by bullets while she prays is enough,” it said.
Abdullahi accused the administration of offering excuses instead of taking responsibility, warning that this attitude is worsening public despair and eroding trust in government.
“Under this Tinubu administration, Nigeria is fast turning to a killing field, and the President does not appear to recognise that his most important job is to protect life,” the statement added.
The ADC urged the government to confront the mounting crisis with sincerity and urgency, insisting that Nigerians deserve more than rhetoric.
“Nigeria is bleeding, communities are grieving, families are being destroyed, and the government continues to respond with excuses, denial, and dangerous rhetoric,” it warned.
The party called for immediate action to restore safety across the country, especially in places of worship and vulnerable communities.
“Nigerians deserve protection, not platitudes. Our houses of worship must be safe, our communities must be safe, our country must be safe,” the ADC declared. (Vanguard)
