Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has urged Nigeria’s leaders to confront the country’s deepening crises, warning that denial and silence are no longer options.
Speaking in Abuja on Friday at the presentation of Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, a book by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, Kukah said Nigeria is already in the grip of security and socio-economic challenges that demand urgent action, as monitored by The News Chronicle.
“We don’t want trouble, but the truth is, we are already in trouble. The question is not how to avoid it, but how to get out of it,” he declared.
The fiery cleric faulted the government’s approach to tackling insurgency, calling for a dedicated “war room” in the Presidential Villa where military chiefs, intelligence officers, and security experts would brainstorm daily to anticipate and respond to threats.
“There ought to be a war room where senior officers are constantly asking, what might tomorrow look like?” Kukah stressed.
He also warned against politicising religion, cautioning northern politicians in particular against using Islam as a tool for power.
“Islamism threatens to destroy the very foundation of Islam as a sacred religion. This is where Boko Haram started, and we must resist it,” he said.
Kukah commended Gen. Irabor for contributing to Nigeria’s security discourse through his book and urged more leaders to document the nation’s struggles and lessons.
