A one-day peace summit in Abuja on Friday turned into a sharp critique of Nigeria’s political leadership as Senator Shehu Sani and prominent Muslim and Christian clerics warned that the country is trapped in a worsening cycle of killings, kidnappings, and insecurity.

Sani, who convened the meeting, accused the government of abandoning citizens, suppressing truth, and mismanaging the military, noting that defence allocations remain high while soldiers lack adequate equipment.

He highlighted a 15-year trend of abductions, from Chibok to Greenfield to the recent kidnapping of over 100 children in Niger State, and said that clerics are often summoned only as “fire brigades” in times of crisis.

“If your Christian brother is not your enemy, and your Imam brother is not your enemy, then who is the enemy? Those in government who refuse to act,” Sani said, calling for truth and accountability as essential for national salvation.

Archbishop Dr. James F. Malgit called for urgent international intervention, describing the humanitarian crisis in Plateau State’s Bokkos Local Government, where communities have been displaced, homes and churches destroyed, and families traumatized.

“They have turned our women into widows, our children into cowards,” he said, urging global attention where government responses have failed.

Malam Abubakar Sede, Chief Imam of Kaduna Polytechnic, echoed the concern, questioning the sincerity and competence of political leaders.

He accused authorities of allowing insecurity to flourish, warning that power is temporary and that leaders will be held accountable before God.

Rejecting the issuance of a formal communiqué, Sani said Nigerians do not need another document but action, emphasizing the urgency of addressing the ongoing insecurity.

He urged clerics to speak directly to the nation, warning that ignoring their voices could compel Nigerians to heed foreign intervention.

President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, said the abduction of 25 schoolgirls in Kebbi State and the killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba and other soldiers in Borno State have left him depressed.

“Their families, and the families of the kidnapped schoolgirls, are in my prayers,” Tinubu said in a post on X.

“As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, I am depressed with the tragic death of our soldiers and officers on active duty. May God comfort the families of Brigadier General Musa Uba and other fallen heroes.”

Tinubu said he has “directed the security agencies to act swiftly and bring the girls back to Kebbi State.

“I am fully apprised of the recent uptick in violent extremism in pockets across the country, and I have directed our security agencies to respond with urgency, clarity, and decisive action.”

He urged Nigerian communities to support the forces by sharing information that can save lives and protect children.