“Let us fight them together”: Catholic Bishop in Nigeria on Persistent Insecurity

The 70-year-old Bishop who started his Episcopal Ministry in September 2011 as the Local Ordinary of Sokoto continued, “We noticed that there is always this anxiety, every little thing, people will be thinking about whether you will be converted. But it is God that gives religion. Are you faithful and what are you doing to help your society?” 

“What we’re dealing with in Nigeria is not religion, but without education, the best of us - be it Christian or Muslim - cannot be actualized,” Bishop Kukah said.

He continued, “Be like the mosquito that doesn’t discriminate.”

The Nigerian Catholic Bishop said the implementation of the town hall meeting by the two bodies is to deploy strategies for increasing access to justice and promoting credible peaceful, democratic processes in the northwest region of Nigeria and strengthening civic participation and peacebuilding with emphasis in Kaduna and Sokoto States.

This, according to the Nigerian Bishop, is a region previously considered to be relatively peaceful and safe but “is now the bane of Insecurity in Nigeria, where banditry and terrorism have created a significant challenge that needs to be tackled to advance Women’s right and voices.”

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Bishop Kukah added that instability in the region has threatened to “put women’s issues on the back burner and erode the gains made on gender development over the years.”

He emphasized the need for women’s involvement in peace-building in our country.

“You know most of this problem at times is as a result of proper understanding of our religion, when we are dealing with ourselves we should know we are dealing with Nigerians, not religion,” Bishop Kukah said.

The Local Ordinary of Sokoto said, “Governments have a role to play not only by giving money but by providing effective communication in building dialogue.”

Also speaking at the meeting, Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State, described the town hall meeting as apt, saying, “We gather here amidst challenging times, with the rise of insecurity threatening the peace and stability of our communities.”

“It is our collective responsibility to take proactive steps towards finding sustainable solutions because building community resilience is not a task that can be achieved by the government alone. It requires a synchronized effort, involving every stakeholder within our society,” the governor said.

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.