The Order of the Knights of St. Mulumba Nigeria has condemned the Easter Sunday attack on two churches in Ariko, Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State, describing the incident as a tragic reminder of the worsening insecurity in the country.
In a statement issued yesterday, and signed by the Supreme Knight, Sir Steve Adehi (SAN), the Catholic lay organisation expressed outrage that the attack occurred on Easter Sunday, one of the most important days in the Christian calendar.
According to the statement, violent assailants stormed St. Augustine Catholic Church and the First ECWA Church in Ariko, killing at least seven worshippers and abducting several others into nearby forests. The Knights noted that the attack came shortly after the Palm Sunday killings in Jos North, Plateau State, where more than 28 people were reportedly killed, describing both incidents as part of a “disturbing pattern of unchecked violence.”
The Knights criticised what they described as the government’s repeated cycle of condemnation without decisive action, arguing that sympathy alone cannot address the country’s security challenges.
“Sympathy is not a security strategy. Condemnation is not a shield for the vulnerable,” the statement said, adding that persistent attacks on rural communities and places of worship show a serious failure in the government’s primary responsibility to protect lives and property.
The lay organisation called on the Federal Government to immediately rescue all abducted victims from the Ariko and Kajuru attacks and to adopt a more proactive security strategy aimed at dismantling armed groups responsible for the violence.
The group also called for accountability among security commanders in affected areas, warning that continued security failures without consequences would further embolden criminal elements. It further demanded that the perpetrators of the Easter attacks be arrested and prosecuted openly to demonstrate that the Nigerian state remains in control of its territory.
The Knights warned that Nigerians were losing patience with the current security situation and urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take decisive action to restore confidence in the nation’s security architecture.
The statement concluded with a call for prayers for the victims and their families, while urging the government to act swiftly to prevent further attacks on places of worship and rural communities.
