Papal inauguration invitation: You don’t deserve one, CSO blasts Tinubu

Says Tinubu has too much bloods in his hands

A civil society organisation (CSO), the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), has decried the invitation extended to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the papal inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, saying he does not deserve it.

Intersociety made the remarks in a press release signed by its Lead-Researcher and Head, Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi, dated Saturday, May 17, 2025.

The statement was entitled “Papal invitation to Tinubu for the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV is undeserved and rejected“.

It could be recalled that the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin recently extended invitation to Tinubu to attend the papal inauguration of Pope Leo XIV.

The inauguration begins with a solemn mass at St Peter’s Square at Vatican on Sunday, May 18, 2025.

Nigerian Presidency swiftly accepted the invitation and announced that Tinubu will travel to Rome May 17 following the invitation.

He will be accompanied by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

Top Catholic clerics, including Archbishops Lucius Ugorji, Ignatius Kaigama, Afred Martins, and Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, are also part of the entourage.

“Undeserved” Papal inauguration invitation

In its statement, Intersociety listed several reasons why Tinubu should not be invited to papal inauguration in the two years of his presidential watch and inaction.

The reasons are follows:

• Estimated 15,640 Christians killed by Jihadists on average of 7,820 deaths per year, 650 per month, 22 per day and one per hour
• Estimated 14,600 Christians abducted on average of 7,300 per year, 608 per month, 20 per day and almost one per hour
• Out of the estimated 14,600 abducted Christians, 1,460 (ten percent) died in their captors’ dens.

The group strongly declared the invitation to Tinubu to attend the papal inauguration of the 267th Pope of the global Catholic Church, Cardinal Francis Robert Prevost, as undeserved and totally rejected the gesture.

It stated: “The global Catholics, numbering more than 1.4 billion has recorded serious denominational and religious retardation, under-growth and under-development in Nigeria since the Boko Haram Jihadist uprising in July 2009 and the Jihadist Fulani state power conquest since June 2015 to date.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his predecessor (Retired Major General Muhammad Buhari (as he then was) had sat under the situations of inaction, inability, unwillingness and complicity since then as the country’s leaders and watched the country entered the world’s hall of infamy as the worst country on earth to practice Christianity and where one Christian is hacked to death on hourly basis.

“Nigeria under them has also unbeatably recorded the highest number of destroyed or burned down churches and Christian schools in the world.”

Papal inauguration invitation: “Conspiracy of Christian leaders”?

Intersociety strongly unequivocally condemned the enlistment of the named Catholic bishops in the itinerary of Tinubu to the Vatican for Papal inauguration.

It stated further: “It… exposes the conspiracy of the country’s Christian leaders in grisly and egregious attacks by Jihadists and their patrons against Christians and their properties.

“This, such clerics most likely do by way of being too attached to the country’s top serving political office holders particularly top Federal and State executives and legislators.

“It must also be pointed out that much political attachment by top Christian clerics in Nigeria to the country’s top political office holders have brutally robbed Christian leaders of vocal and assertive voicing and powers particularly in matters of defense of Christian Faith and securement of security and safety of the country’s lay Christians.

“It is, therefore, our insistence that the country’s Catholic Bishops have no business whatsoever having their names in the list of the country’s presidential itinerary to the Vatican for the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV,” Intersociety stressed.

The group regretted that Jihadists and their patrons have launched unchecked, untamed and untracked attacks on defenseless Christians and sacked or seized not less than 1000 indigenous Christian communities.

It noted that they also occupied some 70% of Christian forests out of the country’s total of 1,129 forests.

“The Jihadists and their patrons have also seized and occupied over 20,000 square miles and hundreds of thousands of hectares of Christian farmlands and farm settlements covering Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, etc.,” Intersociety lamented.

15,640 Christians Hacked to Death and 14,600 Abducted in 2 Years Under Tinubu

Findings by Intersociety as well as others generated from other credible sources shows that in the past two years of Tinubu’s watch and inaction as President, estimated 15,640 Christians have been killed or hacked to death by Islamic Jihadists.

That is an average of 7,820 deaths per year, 650 per month, 22 per day and one per hour.

During the same period, an estimated 14, 600 defenseless Christians were abducted on the ground of their Christian Faith by Jihadists across Nigeria.

That is also an average of 7,300 persons per year, 608 per month, 20 per day and almost one per hour.

Out of the14,600 abductees, 1,460, ten percent, died in the custody of their abductors.

Furthermore, out of estimated 8,200 Christians hacked to death from January to December 2023, no fewer than 5,400 died between June and December 2023 under Tinubu presidency.

“Out of 8,400 abducted Christians, not less than 5,300 were abducted between June and Dec 2023.

“In 2024… not less than 6,500 Christians were hacked to death by Jihadists and 7000 abducted.

“In the outgoing first five months of 2025, not less than 2,170 Christians have been hacked to death and 2,300 others abducted, totaling at least 15,640 Christian deaths and 14,600 abductions in the past two years… under the watch of… Tinubu as Nigeria’s President.

“It is also very important to point out 1,460 defenseless Christian deaths were estimated to have been recorded which represented about 10% of those abducted between June and December 2023; January to December 2024 and January to May 2025.

“They also represented those that never made it alive from the point of their abduction,” the group stated.

About Intersociety

Intersociety touts itself as Nigeria’s leading research and investigative advocacy group.

It promotes adherence and observance to freedom of religion, worship and belief.

It also promotes democracy and accountable governance, civil liberties and rule of law and citizens’ security and safety since 2010.

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