Buhari’s government unwilling to deal decisively with bandits, Kukah tells US congress

Matthew Kukah, Catholic bishop of Sokoto diocese, says the federal government is helpless in tackling insecurity in the country.

According to The Punch, in his address to the United States Congress Commission, Kukah said the Buhari administration has failed to address insecurity which it promised to do before taking power in 2015.

He accused President Muhammadu Buhari of showing preference to people of his religion which according to him, has worsened the level of rivalry between Christians and Muslims.

“The North, even the whole country, is invaded by armed bandits, kidnappers etc, who attack communities at will. The fact that the government seems to be either helpless or uninterested in dealing decisively with these people has added more confusion,” he said.

“The contradiction here is that the President has blatantly pursued nepotistic agenda and policies that show very clearly his preference for men and women of his faith.

“For the first time in Nigeria, the people heading the three arms of government – President, Senate President, Speaker and Chief Justice – are all Muslims. These are all fine gentlemen, but that is not the point. The level of rivalry between Christians and Muslims has worsened. This kind of situation has never happened before.”

Kukah told the commission that the persecution of Christians in Nigeria, which has been going on for a long time, has worsened in the past 10 years with Christian schools being attacked in the north by extremists who convert girls to wives, sex slaves and spies, while indoctrinating them.

“The story of Leah Sharibu suggests very clearly that there is, in many instances, a relationship between the conditions in which people find themselves and their faith,” he said.

“In 2020, some of our priests in the North were killed. The extremists kidnapped our children and forcefully converted them to Muslims. What is significant here is that we are in a democracy; with weak structures and institutions. These are existential issues. So, we require practical assistance that can help us and our children.”