THE Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, has described United States President Donald Trump’s threat of military action against Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians as a “jab” that should jolt Nigerian leaders into confronting the nation’s deep governance failures.
Speaking Friday at the 60th birthday celebration of veteran journalist Dr. Reuben Abati and the launch of his three new books in Lagos, Kukah declared:
“All of us are confusing Trump with a sickness. Trump is a symptom of the disease that is in our country. Whether it is Trump or whoever has given us this jab, it is time for Nigeria to wake up.”
The cleric’s remarks follow President Trump’s accusation of “systematic persecution and mass killings” of Christians in Nigeria, prompting him to order the U.S. Department of Defense to draft contingency plans for possible strikes.
President Bola Tinubu rejected the claims, insisting Nigeria remains “a democracy grounded in constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion.”
Before Thursday’s Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja, he vowed: “We are engaging the world diplomatically, and we assure you we will defeat terrorism… guided by the Renewed Hope Agenda.”Undeterred, U.S. military sources confirm operational plans for potential targeted action inside Nigeria are now active.
Kukah also decried Nigeria’s lack of national monuments and unifying figures: “If somebody visits this country today, where will I take them? In other places you can see where the president is; in Nigeria, you cannot.”
“We need to reload,” he urged. “It does not matter if a snake is dead or whether a woman killed it—the important thing is the snake is dead.”