Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Reverend Matthew Hassan Kukah, has condemned Nigeria’s worsening insecurity as a product of deep-rooted compromise within the system rather than a lack of resources or capacity.
The cleric described the country’s situation as a “theatre of lies” maintained by denial, distrust and hypocrisy, warning that Nigerians are now becoming accustomed to collective humiliation.
Speaking in an exclusive interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese Ijebu, Kukah said the nation’s crisis is not fundamentally driven by religion, but by moral decay, state failure and the breakdown of trust between the government and citizens.
He added that the crisis is worsened by identity politics and the manipulation of religion for political gains.
The bishop noted that his doctoral research, later published as Religion, Politics and Power in Northern Nigeria, had already anticipated the dangerous overlap between faith and governance.
He argued that the real problem is not religion interfering in politics, but politicians ignoring the moral teachings they hear in churches and mosques.
“Religion comes before politics. The pulpit comes before the political podium. The problem is not religion interfering in politics, but politicians disobeying what they hear in churches and mosques,” Kukah said.
On the recent abduction of over 170 worshippers in Kaduna State, the cleric condemned the initial denial by security agencies before later confirming the incident.
He said the episode exposed Nigeria’s broken crisis management system and deep credibility deficit.
“Something happened. People were abducted in a church. Government preferred denial. The church insisted it happened. That triangle of lies and truth explains why Nigeria is where it is,” Kukah said.
He further criticized the security agencies’ tendency to suppress bad news in order to “look good”, noting that such actions have deepened public distrust. Kukah described the continued use of terms like “kinetic and non-kinetic strategies” as empty jargon that fails to explain what is actually being done to end kidnappings and other violent crimes.
“How do you move 170 adults in Nigeria today and say you are looking for them? In the Arizona desert, a rat cannot move without being detected,” he said, adding that the mass abductions have become routine and globally embarrassing.
The bishop also criticized the recent report that the Katsina State Government approved the release of suspected bandits as part of a peace initiative.
He warned that the country is now rewarding criminality, noting that violence has become a pathway to wealth and power.
“This is a country that has become used to rewarding malfeasance. It shows in appointments, elections, and now in security,” he said. “Boys of yesterday are now multi-billionaires. The message is clear: if you fight long enough, you will be rewarded.”
On the claims of Christian genocide, Kukah rejected the obsession with terminology, insisting that the focus should be on ending the killings.
He aligned with the Vatican and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, stating that security must be treated as a national issue rather than a religious one.
“I am not interested in definitions. Whether you call it genocide, persecution or mass atrocities, Nigerians are dying. That is what must stop,” he said.
Kukah also warned against the deepening Christian–Muslim binary in the country, saying it could push Nigeria into an irreversible identity trap.
He referenced Rwanda’s post-genocide recovery, noting that President Paul Kagame’s decision to abolish ethnic labels offers a lesson for Nigeria.
“Kagame said: no more Hutu, no more Tutsi. We are all Rwandans,” Kukah said.
He rejected expectations of foreign intervention, particularly from the United States, insisting that Nigeria must solve its own problems.
“America has no agenda to save Nigeria. They have their own interests. No country comes into your house and leaves without kicking something,” he said.
Kukah concluded that the country’s greatest security challenge is not lack of capacity but systemic compromise involving political elites, security agencies, traditional rulers and even religious leaders.
He warned that without honesty, coordination and moral courage, Nigeria will remain trapped in a cycle of violence and denial.
“We have not decided, as a country, how to resolve this issue. Until we do, we are all complicit,” he said.
