A Christian cleric, Jude Chikezie, has called on Nigerians to embrace unity and uphold the sanctity of human life, citing the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Speaking during a Good Friday procession in Ojo, Lagos State, Mr Chikezie, the head of Holy Spirit Church, Onireke, led congregants through major streets in a solemn march to reflect on Christ's crucifixion. He said Christ's death was a demonstration of unconditional love and a model for how humans should relate to one another. "As a people, we are called upon to take after Christ in exhibiting love and care for one another. Christ, through His death on the cross, showed us a template and manual of daily living," he said.
Elsewhere in Tedi-Muwo, also in Ojo, Rev. Fr. Anthony Thompson of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church led a similar procession. He urged Christians to live by the values of love, sacrifice, and compassion, especially during the Lenten season. Mr Thompson stressed the importance of seeking forgiveness and avoiding actions that go against Christian teachings. Good Friday, observed on April 7, commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and is marked across Nigeria with church services, fasting, and processions.
A preacher's plea for unity on Good Friday does not alter the reality that sermons alone cannot stop kidnappings or shootings in Lagos. Jude Chikezie's appeal, while heartfelt, echoes countless others that have done little to shift the moral compass of armed criminals or ease societal fractures. Nigerians hear the message year after year — the gap is not in preaching but in lived practice.
