The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Reverend Matthew Kukah, has said that Nigeria’s escalating insecurity, governance failures and identity politics have turned the nation into a “theatre of lies,” sustained by denial, lack of trust and systemic hypocrisy.
Kukah stated this on Friday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese Ijebu, which was monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent in Abeokuta.
The cleric warned that the country was fast normalising collective humiliation, adding that the crisis in Nigeria was not primarily religious but rooted in moral decay, state failure and the erosion of trust between government and citizens.
He emphasised that religion precedes politics, noting that the pulpit should lead the political podium, and argued that the problem was not religion’s interference in politics but politicians’ disregard for moral teachings.
“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.
He explained that places of worship are meant to function as “filling stations” for moral values, equipping citizens with the ethics required to build a just society.
“Wherever you see conflict, it is a conflict between obedience and disobedience,” he added.
Kukah also condemned the handling of the abduction of over 170 worshippers in Kaduna State, which was initially denied by security agencies, saying the incident 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,” he said.
He criticised security agencies for suppressing bad news to protect their image, stating that such action had worsened public distrust.
“You cannot be embarrassed about the injury or death of Nigerian citizens. Covering wounds does not heal them. It only shows in the way you walk,” he said.
Kukah dismissed official claims of “kinetic and non-kinetic strategies” as empty jargon, noting that no one had clearly explained what those terms meant, while kidnappings continued unchecked.
He further warned that Nigeria had developed a dangerous culture of rewarding criminality, citing the release of suspected bandits as part of a peace initiative by the Katsina State government.
“This is a country that has become used to rewarding malfeasance. It shows in appointments, elections, and now in security,” he added.
