Let’s Smash Extremism Before Nigeria Ends Up Like Gaza—Bishop Kukah’s Wake-Up Call
By: Abudu Olalekan
Imagine this: A room full of Nigeria’s big shots, all gathered to celebrate a birthday, and then boom—Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah drops a truth bomb that shakes everyone. It’s Friday at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs in Lagos, marking journalist Dr. Reuben Abati’s 60th. But Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, isn’t there just to party. No. He’s delivering a keynote called ‘Nigeria: Time to Reload,’ and man, does he paint a grim picture. Nigeria’s tearing itself apart, he says, split by religion, ethnicity, and all sorts of moral messes. If we don’t act fast? We could slide into a Gaza-style nightmare, endless violence and hopelessness. Short and sharp: Time’s running out.
Kukah’s not mincing words. He urges our leaders to “reload” the whole Nigerian project—go back to basics like justice, fairness, and sticking together as one nation. Weaponized religion? That’s the real enemy, he warns. It’s not just hurting the country; it’s poisoning faith itself. “If Nigeria does not confront the demon of weaponised religion, we may have no country,” he declares, his voice probably echoing in that hall. Those who twist religion for power are the biggest threat to believers—over 90 percent of them end up as victims, he points out. And get this: He appeals straight to the President. Remember how he fought in court over local government funds to fix corruption? Well, Kukah says do the same for Sharia courts in those 12 northern states. Seek Supreme Court clarity on what it means for our unity. Subtle, but pointed.
He’s got history on his mind too. Northern Christians have been raising alarms since before independence, but colonial politics shut them down. Now, that old demon’s back, circling like angels of death. “The encircling steps of the angels of death and doom are here,” Kukah says, almost poetic. We’ve been crying out for years. If we don’t slay this dragon of religious extremism, Nigeria becomes a bigger Gaza. Supremacists hiding behind faith? No room for them in our politics or society. The time is now. Start here.
Oh, and Trump? Kukah actually thanks him. Yeah, you heard that right. Thanks for tossing that unexploded grenade our way—his harsh words about Nigeria. It’s a blowout, but maybe it’ll wake us up before it blows. Instead of getting mad at the messenger, let’s look at the message. Trump’s comments are symptoms, not the disease. “All of us are confusing Trump for a sickness. He’s a symptom, not a disease,” Kukah quips, throwing in some Yoruba wisdom: It doesn’t matter who kills the snake, as long as it’s dead. So, wake up, Nigeria. Reflect on why we’re still stuck with ethnic beefs, religious intolerance, corruption, those 60,000 abandoned projects, and elections that are anything but fair. Our insecurity? It’s from lacking unity and real faith, making peace impossible.
Kukah’s pushing for a moral reset. We need shared values, a national identity that isn’t bogged down by rivalry. Who are our founding fathers, he asks? Americans invoke theirs all the time to guide or critique. Us? We’re chaotic, quarrelsome, because we lack that moral foundation. “Nationalism is a tree that must be watered,” he says. Can you name one event that gets all Nigerians hyped? Me neither. And the political elite? They’ve failed to build that unifying myth that keeps other countries patriotic.
He uses this cool metaphor: A marksman who misses reloads and tries again. Maybe the gun wasn’t loaded, target moved—whatever. Nigeria’s gotta do the same. Face failures with guts and creativity. Our decline in values—from politics to schools to media—it’s a moral crisis no law can fix alone. “No matter how much one loves this country, we cannot explain away all the opportunities we have missed,” he admits. But greatness comes from correcting mistakes, not beating ourselves up.
Drawing from global examples, Kukah notes how China has Confucian balance, America its moral theology. Nigeria? We’re like an “ideological orphan,” as Dele Ogun put it. Postcolonial mess left a vacuum. And don’t get him started on “government by marabouts and shamans.” All those ritual sacrifices, slaughtering weird animals for power? Won’t cut it. We need intellectual awakening, rooted in African humanism like Ubuntu—”I am because you are.” Not this dark sorcery overtaking public life.
Globally, faith in democracy’s slipping, he warns, quoting Fareed Zakaria: People doubt each other now, not just governments. Our elite must rebuild trust through honesty, not defections and opportunism. Elections are like weddings—ceremonies. Governance is the marriage, where real work happens.
Wrapping up, Kukah calls Nigeria a “country permanently on a boilerplate of self-doubt.” But hope’s there if we rebuild. No final destinations for nations; it’s about holding together through turbulence, eyes on unity.
The event wasn’t just talk. Books by Abati got presented: ‘Portraits: People, Politics and Society,’ ‘How Goodluck Jonathan Became President,’ and ‘A Love Letter and Other Stories.’ Reviewer Louis Odion called them a mix of Nigeria’s highs and lows, offering hope. Big names showed: Former Presidents Obasanjo and Jonathan, who praised Abati’s truth-telling. Obasanjo, chairing, said, “The truth that I stood for at that time, you have now come to stand for.” Others like Governors Alex Otti, deputy Obafemi Hamzat, EFCC’s Ola Olukoyede, royals, ex-govs Gbenga Daniel and Adams Oshiomhole, and a slew of journalists and VIPs, including Abati’s wife Kikelomo leading the family.
It was a night of reflection, applause, and maybe a spark for change. Kukah’s words linger: Act now, or regret later. Nigeria’s promise is unfinished, but reload right, and we can shine
