Bishop Kukah Raises Alarm Over Western Media’s Role in Religious Violence

Matthew Kukah, the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, has expressed concern about what he called “relentless daily killings” in Nigeria.

The cleric reportedly issued a warning that the scope and pattern of violence are unparalleled globally.

In Yola, Adamawa State, Kukah gave a speech at the public presentation of Solomon Kumangar’s book, The Man They Could Not Stop, to Governor Ahmadu Fintiri. Kumangar was a former Director-General of Media and Communication.

Kukah bemoaned the prevalence of murders throughout the nation and claimed that Nigeria has become dangerously divided along religious lines.

Kukah stated that what is taking place in Nigeria could not occur in Sudan, Cameroon, Niger, Ghana, or any other nation on earth.

No other nation in the world has 10 murders on Monday, 50 on Tuesday, 100 on Wednesday, and weekly killings. How can a nation like that advance?

He went on to say that religious identities have progressively taken center stage in the way that violence is seen and reported.

Only in Nigeria do Muslims and Christians perish. The massacres along religious lines are being encouraged by the Western media; 20 Christians and 30 Muslims were slaughtered.

Kukah asked religious and political leaders to put aside sectarian differences and create organizations that advance harmony, peace, and the advancement of the country.

The cleric also praised Attahiru Jega, the former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, for his intervention during the 2023 Adamawa governorship election issue, calling it crucial to bringing the situation under control.

Bukola Saraki, a former Senate President and former governor of Kwara State, also spoke at the occasion and asked Nigerians to put leadership and competency above party loyalty.

Saraki stated that the country can only advance if the appropriate individuals are allowed to lead its activities. Governor Fintiri’s infrastructure demonstrated his capacity for leadership.

Fintiri was publicly urged to join the ruling All Progressives Congress by Abdullahi Sule, the governor of Nasarawa State and head of the event.

“As our new member, I would give you the APC cap and flag today if I come with it,” Sule declared.

Governor Fintiri referred to himself as “a man of destiny” in his remarks, describing the turbulent 2023 governorship election.

“Many shots were made in vain to halt me. The 2023 election, he claimed, was the pinnacle of them and a humiliating one for the state, the country, and democracy around the world.

He warned that such pressures still exist and accused anonymous political leaders of malfeasance and moral lapse.

The group of political puppeteers and pretenders is still active, moving between Yola and Abuja and obtrusively and dangerously circling our democracy. As we did in 2023, we must use our ballots to oppose them.

Gombe, Borno, Yobe, Taraba, and Plateau state legislators, together with Governors Bala Mohammed (Bauchi) and Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa) and the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, attended the book launch.

In addition to announcing the book, Mustapha Salihu, the APC’s Deputy National Vice Chairman (North-East), asked Adamawa citizens to keep funding Fintiri’s development initiatives.