From the chaos that ensued in Jos, Plateau State, in Angwan Rukuba, an iconic picture is now being called the “Nigerian Pietà.” It is a caption that is as sad as it is deeply meaningful.
When Michelangelo sculpted the Pietà (Mercy), he intended to portray a mother’s heartfelt grief at the death of her only son. He surpassed his own expectations, as the sculpture went on to become one of his most famous works.
It is therefore no wonder that this picture of a mother, holding the lifeless body of her son to her bosom as she weeps in nerve-wracking agony, so powerfully captures our minds. We are instantly drawn into her grief, her pain, and her loss.
The heavens themselves weep with this Nigerian mother, and with the many other mothers who have had to bury scores of their sons and daughters. The Virgin Mother herself weeps at how heartless we have become.
When will it end? When will we summon the courage to say, “enough is enough?”
© Oselumhense Anetor, 2026
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