As Christians across Nigeria celebrate Easter, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has expressed deep concern over the worsening socioeconomic, political, and security challenges confronting the nation, attributing them to rampant corruption, nepotism, and the extravagant lifestyles of political leaders.

In its Easter message released on Sunday in Kaduna, and signed by the forum’s national publicity secretary, Professor Tukur Muhammad Baba, the ACF lamented the continued bloodshed, displacement, and destruction in communities across Benue, Borno, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Plateau, Zamfara, and other states.

The Forum decried the rising toll of “senseless deaths” and fractured intergroup relations, calling the situation a national tragedy that demands urgent redress.

Despite these challenges, the ACF urged Christian faithful to use the Easter season to pray for peace, national security, and economic recovery.

It also called for divine intervention to guide Nigerian leaders towards compassion, wisdom, and genuine service to the people.

According to the statement, “The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) felicitates with Nigerian and worldwide Christian brethren on the celebration of the 2025 Easter Season, a culmination of the Lent Period, itself devoted to fasting, compassion, goodwill and spiritual reflections on the pains of Crucifixion and the wonder of Resurrection that Jesus Christ went through.

“In solidarity, ACF rejoices with all on the solemn occasion and wishes all God’s abundant mercies and Grace.

“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. 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.

“Adding to the tragedy are monstrous corruption, 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 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 for Almighty God to further re-energise 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 destabilise Arewa communities and the Nigeria at large; turn the hearts of the terror merchants and their sponsors away from their senseless and callous criminality. ACF also prays for the conditions which 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 remains hopeful that our communities will emerge more resilient, stronger, hospitable, even more accommodative for all, as opposed to the current culture of pervasive anger, mutual mistrust, intolerance, despair and hopelessness,” ACF said.