ABUJA, NIGERIA — In a major public declaration addressing the persistent internal security crises across the country, the President of the Senate, Chief Godswill Akpabio, has asserted that the high-profile individuals secretly financing terrorism, banditry, and violent crimes in Nigeria will eventually be unmasked and brought to justice. The nation's head of the legislature emphasized that the state would ensure these financiers are exposed, completely regardless of their political status, socio-economic influence, or position within the structures of society.
The Senate President made these remarks during a heavily attended Inter-Denominational Church Service hosted at the National Christian Centre in the capital city of Abuja. The solemn religious gathering formed a cornerstone event within the federal itinerary arranged to commemorate the country's 2026 Democracy Day celebrations, marking 27 years of uninterrupted democratic governance and constitutional order since the return to civilian rule in 1999.
A Legacy of Intercession Facing Modern Instability
Reflecting extensively on the acute security challenges currently facing the West African nation, the Senate President passionately urged ordinary citizens not to lose hope or give in to despair, despite the relentless wave of highway kidnappings, rural killings, and insurgent attacks plaguing various geopolitical zones. Akpabio stressed that communal prayers, corporate faith, and unyielding national unity remain indispensable weapons in the military and psychological fight against entrenched insecurity.
Drawing directly from his personal administrative history as a two-term executive governor of Akwa Ibom State, Akpabio recalled how he pioneered a mandatory monthly state prayer program nearly two decades ago. This institutional policy was specifically introduced to confront a severe, regional rise in active militancy, high-profile oil sector kidnappings, and violent crimes that threatened to completely paralyze the economic life of the Niger Delta state at the time.
According to the legislative leader, the contemporary challenges facing the entire federation demand that the country continue seeking divine intervention alongside standard military strategies until the complex networks behind the ongoing violence are fully identified, dismantled, and subjected to the rule of law.
"When I was granted the opportunity by the electorate to serve as governor about 19 years ago, I immediately started a monthly prayer initiative across the state," Akpabio told the congregation of top government officials, diplomats, and religious leaders. "During those turbulent times, I used to ask myself a fundamental question whenever there was an outbreak of militancy, kidnapping, and killing. I would look at the state and say, what if we were not praying?"
"Today, as I look at the wider challenges facing our great nation, I want every Nigerian to ask themselves that exact same question regarding the difficult things happening all around us. What if we were not praying as a country? We must continue praying persistently so that the evil doers and their wealthy sponsors shall be thoroughly exposed in Jesus' Name."
The Senate President added a stark warning to those fueling the instability from the shadows: "If these sponsors are embedded inside the apparatus of government, they shall be exposed. If they operate from outside the structures of government, they shall equally be exposed in Jesus' Name. Those who are actively sponsoring this bloodshed, whether it is politically motivated or driven by alternative criminal agendas, may they never have peace until they are completely defeated by the state."
Acknowledging the Trauma of Communities and Captives
The leader of the National Assembly openly admitted that pervasive insecurity remains one of the country’s biggest existential concerns, noting with gravity that numerous farming communities have suffered devastating attacks, while daily travelers and agrarian workers continue to live under a constant cloud of fear.
However, he expressed absolute confidence that Nigeria would ultimately overcome its current difficulties, pointing to the country’s historic resilience through previous dark periods of severe political instability, extreme economic hardship, and unprecedented public health emergencies. Akpabio stated that the country’s long democratic journey is proof of its collective survival instinct, adding that citizens should remain hopeful despite the grueling times.
The legislative chief spoke with visible emotion about the profound psychological suffering endured by Nigerian families whose loved ones have been violently abducted by bandits and insurgents. He noted that the lingering pain of not knowing the immediate fate or physical condition of an abducted child, spouse, or relative represents one of the greatest human tragedies any family could ever be forced to face.
Recalling his own childhood experiences and the collective hardships witnessed during the historic Nigerian civil war, the former Akwa Ibom governor argued that the ongoing ordeal of innocent children currently held in forest captivity across the country should deeply trouble the moral conscience of every single citizen. He assured the public that the current security crisis would not last forever, expressing optimism that the nation would soon emerge into a more peaceful and stable era.
Executive Rededication to National Recovery and Restoring Peace
Akpabio maintained that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains fully committed to restoring total territorial security, upgrading military intelligence capabilities, and ensuring that all victims of forced abduction regain their freedom without delay.
Also speaking at the Democracy Day event, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, delivering an executive brief, stated that the Federal Government was actively intensifying its multi-sectoral efforts to simultaneously crush the security threats and reduce the economic burdens facing ordinary Nigerians. Akume assured the public that national authorities would continue to strengthen intelligence-sharing frameworks and boost tactical resources to decisively defeat terrorists, bandits, and other criminal groups, while working aggressively toward the safe, unconditional return of all abducted persons.
The inter-denominational service concluded as part of the formal, modest activities lined up for the nation's 27th Democracy Day anniversary. Federal authorities clarified that this year's observation would be marked on a highly reflective and modest scale out of respect for the economic realities and security trials currently being navigated by the nation.
