Bishop Matthew Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto has expressed concern over Nigeria’s daily killings, saying the situation is unparalleled globally.
Speaking at the launch of a book on Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, Kukah stated that the country is divided along religious lines, exacerbated by Western media narratives.
“What is happening in Nigeria cannot happen in Sudan, Cameroon, Niger, Ghana, or any other country in the world,” Kukah said. “There is no other country in the world that 10 people are killed on Monday, 50 on Tuesday, 100 on Wednesday, and the killings go on every week. How can such a country move forward?”
He added: “Only in Nigeria do people die as Christians and Muslims. The Western media is fuelling the killings along religious lines — 20 Christians killed, 30 Muslims killed.”
Kukah called on political and religious leaders to build institutions that unite Nigerians for peace and the country’s development.
He also hailed former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, for intervening in the 2023 governorship crisis in Adamawa State.
Also speaking at the event, former Senate President and ex-Kwara State governor, Bukola Saraki, urged Nigerians to prioritise leaders with strong leadership qualities over political affiliations.
“The country can only move forward when the right people are given the chance to pilot its affairs,” he said, adding that Fintiri’s infrastructural footprint shows he is prepared for leadership.
Nassarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, who chaired the ceremony, encouraged Fintiri to join the All Progressives Congress, saying the party’s expansion had reached Adamawa State.
“If I come with the APC cap and flag, I would hand it to you today as our new member,” he said.
Governor Fintiri described himself as a “man of destiny,” reflecting on the 2023 elections.
“There were numerous futile shots at stopping me. The 2023 election was just the height of them, and an embarrassing one, not only to the state but to the nation and to democracy globally. In 2023, we saw treachery; we saw assault; we saw the moral compromise of a bankrupt elite masked as patriots. But most importantly, we saw support and resilience of the true Adamawa people and friendships that go beyond the state.”
He added: “If 2023 had not happened, I wouldn’t have known some people for who they are: pretentious, greedy, opportunistic, and desperate, yet crying the victim and still claiming democratic credentials they are distant from. The sad news is that this clique of pretenders and political puppeteers are still around, shuttling between Yola and Abuja, shamelessly and dangerously hovering around our democracy. We must, as we did in 2023, resist them with our votes and unmask them to the world.”
