Bloody Easter: NYCN Boss Condemns Killings, Insecurity In Nigeria

By Alex Odeh, Pan Afric Reporters

The Chairman of National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) , Comrade Douglas Ochishi, has expressed disappointment and dissatisfaction over the spate of killings, in Nigeria in general and Ebonyi State in particular, citing the horrific Palm Sunday attack of March 29, 2026, in Jos, Plateau State, where innocent Nigerians were killed and the suspected assassination of Eze Josphat Ikegwu of the Ishinkwo community in Onicha LGA.

Addressing journalists in his Abakaliki office to mark this year’s Easter celebration, Douglas Ochishi, who described the celebration as symbolic, said it is a period of sacrifice, love, redemption, and the triumph of hope over despair, light over darkness, and life over death, but said the Easter is being celebrated with heavy heart.

According to him, Nigerians are tired of mourning and unfulfilled promises, while calling on security agencies to step up actions in their investigation and to ensure that those responsible for these atrocities are urgently identified, arrested, and brought to justice swiftly and decisively.

He said, “We strongly condemn, in the clearest possible terms, the horrific Palm Sunday attack of March 29, 2026, in Jos, Plateau State, where innocent Nigerians including men, women, and children were brutally killed in cold blood. A day meant for peace, reflection, and hope was turned into one of grief and bloodshed. This tragedy is not just painful; but it is unacceptable.

“Reports that armed attackers, disguised in uniforms resembling those of our security forces, invaded a civilian community and opened fire on defenseless citizens raise serious concerns about the safety of Nigerians and the integrity of public trust. Families have been shattered. Communities have been traumatized. We mourn with the people of Plateau State. We grieve with every affected family.

“But beyond mourning, we must ask difficult questions: How did we get here? How is it that Nigerians can no longer feel safe, even within their own homes or on sacred days?”, he stated.

He further decried the senseless and grusome killings of traditional rulers in Ebonyi State, saying that Nigerians are tired of mourning.

“Just yesterday, on Holy Thursday, an Ebonyi State traditional ruler, Eze Josphat Ikegwu of the Ishinkwo community in Onicha LGA, was reportedly killed by suspected assailants.

“This came as we are still mourning the brutal murder of the late Eze Francis Igwe of Ndufu-Alike Ikwo community, the father of the former Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, Barrister Kelechi Igwe who was killed by suspected kidnappers a few weeks ago. These incidents, coupled with cases of homicide and abduction, including those involving children in parts of the state, paint a deeply troubling picture.

“Nigerians are tired of mourning. Nigerians are tired of statements. Nigerians want to see action.

Ochishi, while regretting the spate of bloodbath in Nigeria, charged security agencies to wade into thorough investigation and fish out those behind the dastardly act.

‘We therefore call on security agencies to ensure that those responsible for these atrocities are urgently identified, arrested, and brought to justice swiftly and decisively. Anything less will only reinforce the dangerous perception that lives are no longer adequately protected in our country.

“We also urge a thorough investigation into the use of fake military uniforms by these attackers, as this poses a grave threat to national security and public confidence in our institutions.

“A nation cannot keep bleeding like this and expect to move forward. We owe the dead justice. We owe the living protection. And we owe future generations a country where no community wakes up to gunfire on a sacred day”, he said.