A theological assessment of Matthew 24:6-7 in the light of insecurity in Nigeria

Abstract

This paper discusses a theological assessment of Matt 24:6-7 in the light of insecurity in Nigeria. Theological cum historical methods were adopted. Jesus Christ had predicted that there will be confusion at the close of age. Christ predicted that peace would elude the universe as there would be upheavals in virtually every part of the globe. There appears to be a glaring manifestation of this prediction especially in Nigeria in the contemporary days. Youth restiveness occasioned by joblessness which is necessitated by the greed and avarice of Nigerian leaders, has enormously truncated the peaceful existence of so many places in Nigeria. Since an idle hand is the devil‟s workshop, jobless youths have decidedly resolved not to allow the sleeping dog to lie. Huge sums of money that should have ordinarily been used to cater for youths and the general populace, perhaps by way of job creation is constantly siphoned by the privileged or opportune few. The resultant effect of this is that nothing is left for the welfare of the youths. Consequently, the youths have taken up arms, not necessarily against those that engendered the problem; but against the poor and innocent individuals in the society, who are probably in the same shoes with them. The by-product of this is palpable fear in the country. Nigerians can no longer sleep with two eyes closed, apparently because of the fear of hoodlums parading the nooks and crannies of the country either as armed robbers, kidnappers, or militia.

Keywords: Nigeria, Youth, Armed robbers, kidnappers, Insecurity