By SUNTV Global Channel | December 2025
The Yoruba socio-cultural group has strongly condemned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s planned Christmas and New Year holiday celebrations, describing them as insensitive and “painfully disconnected from reality” while dozens of abducted worshippers of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) remain in captivity under brutal conditions.
In a statement released on Friday, the Yoruba Union said it was deeply disturbed that government officials are rolling out festive messages and holiday plans at a time when innocent Nigerians, including churchgoers abducted during a religious gathering, are spending Christmas in the hands of bandits.
According to the group, the continued captivity of the ECWA worshippers highlights the government’s failure to decisively tackle insecurity, particularly in rural communities that have become killing fields and kidnapping corridors.
“It is heartbreaking and unacceptable that families are marking Christmas with tears, uncertainty and fear, while the federal government speaks of celebrations and goodwill messages,” the statement read. “For those held by bandits, there is no Christmas — only hunger, fear and the constant threat of death.”
“Christmas Without Christ, Without Compassion”
The Yoruba Union accused the Tinubu administration of prioritising political optics over human lives, arguing that no meaningful celebration should take place while citizens remain in captivity.
The group noted that the ECWA worshippers, many of whom were abducted during a church-related activity, represent a broader crisis of insecurity affecting Christians, Muslims and traditional worshippers alike.
“This is no longer about religion or region; it is about humanity,” the union said. “A nation that allows its people to rot in forests while leaders exchange pleasantries has lost its moral compass.”
Calls for Immediate Action
The Yoruba Union demanded urgent and transparent action from the federal government, including:
- Immediate security operations to rescue the abducted ECWA members
- Clear communication with affected families
- A comprehensive strategy to dismantle bandit networks
- Accountability from security agencies over repeated intelligence failures
The group warned that continued silence or slow response could further erode public trust in government and fuel anger across communities already stretched by economic hardship and rising violence.
Families Mark Christmas With Tears
Relatives of the abducted worshippers are reportedly spending the festive season in anguish, holding prayer vigils and pleading with authorities for help. Many have accused the government of abandoning them and leaving negotiations, if any, shrouded in secrecy.
A family member, who spoke anonymously, said:
“While others are sharing food and gifts, our loved ones are sleeping in the bush. Is this the Nigeria we prayed for?”
A Test of Leadership
The Yoruba Union concluded by stating that Christmas should be a season of compassion, justice and hope — values it says are meaningless if citizens remain unprotected.
“This Christmas will judge leadership,” the statement said. “History will remember whether the government chose celebration over rescue, silence over action, and politics over people.”
As the nation marks the Yuletide season, the fate of the abducted ECWA worshippers remains uncertain — a grim reminder that for many Nigerians, Christmas is being spent not at home, but in captivity.
