Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah has said Leah Sharibu and every Nigerian child unaccounted for is a scar on Nigeria.

Kukah, who is the Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, stated this at the official launch of the book Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum by former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor.

He said, “Now, the issue of Leah Sharibu and the Chibok girls, these are what the author refers to as the scars. And in my view, as long as Leah Sharibu is unaccounted for, as long as any of the abducted children in Nigeria is unaccounted for, every child that is unaccounted for is a scar on the face of Nigeria.”

Kukah, who was the book reviewer, said military efforts alone would not end the Boko Haram insurgency as the insurgents are fighting to die while the soldiers are fighting to stay alive.

He said the Federal Government got it wrong by naming the insurgents Boko Haram.
“And I think this is where the Nigerian government has gotten it wrong. First of all, let’s not forget. We are the ones who gave them the name Boko Haram.

They did not say that they are Boko Haram. We are the ones who gave them the name and because we gave them the name Boko Haram, we have become comfortable. It has affected our strategy,” he said.

He said, “Boko Haram says their name is Jama’at Ahl al-Sunna li al-Da’wa wa al-Jihad. That is their name. And the English translation is ‘people committed to the Prophet’s teachings for the propagation of jihad’. That is what is in their blood. So, no matter how many bullets you shoot them with—and I will come to that point—they have told you what they are committed to. And in fairness to all of us, including those of us who are in this room, is there any Muslim who would say he is not committed to the teachings of the Holy Prophet? The challenge is the context of preaching.”

While charging political leaders to write biographies, he said the nation was already in trouble and needs solutions on the way out.

He said, “First, the Nigerian military must be inspired by this book to also create a sense of urgency about returning to the barracks so that their honour, their integrity, their professionalism can be guaranteed. Soldiers after soldiers have written to say that they are often better off under civilian government than under military government. However, the presence of the military in 36 states out of 36 states in Nigeria makes the notion of democracy an oxymoron.
“We cannot be in a democracy and be surrounded by soldiers. Because increasingly, psychologically, people are beginning to think, see the military as an army of occupation. It should not be so.”

He also charged the Federal Government to expand its concept of national security to cover all aspects of security including food and health.
“But national security, because of the militarisation of the discourse, is about guns, it is about bullets. But in reality, all these floods that are taking our people away in Nigeria—shouldn’t governors have foreseen that floods are a threat to Nigeria? It is a national security issue. If the rains are not coming, the threat of hunger is a security problem. So, we should see security therefore in a much more complex manner.”

He accused Northern leaders of using ‘Islamism’ as a tool to grab power, which he said was destructive to Islam.
“I’d like to use this opportunity to speak to my Muslim brothers, especially from Northern Nigeria. Islamism, that is what is called political theology. In Christianity, it could be the same thing, but political theology. That is the instrumentalisation and the skewed usage and manipulation of religion as a tool for governance. Nigeria is in a democracy and there is a way that good Muslims can participate in democracy, and good Christians can participate in democracy. But the idea that we want to use religion to enforce power, is what Islamism is all about. It has become destructive to the religion itself. Suddenly now, in this day and age, we are here, I live in Sokoto.”

He continued, “Everybody is talking about, they are killing Christians. Yes, they are killing Christians. But we are all going to come to a point in which they are killing Nigerians. So, Islamism threatens to destroy the foundation of Islam as a sacred religion and we must collectively insist, because this is where Boko Haram started from. And this is why the danger—Northern politicians, please remember.”

However, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, faulted Kukah’s claim.
“I also want to correct a wrong notion that many non-Muslims hold about jihad. Jihad does not mean a Muslim must kill a non-Muslim. Jihad means ‘to strive’. In every aspect of life, one strives to be the best they can be—to be a good Muslim, a good Christian, a good farmer, or a good engineer. Jihad is not about killing non-Muslims; that is a misconception that has persisted for decades.
“In addition, I want to clarify another issue. When Bishop Kukah spoke about Islamism, he may have used some words in a way that created misunderstanding, making Islam appear negative. But Islamism is not about seeking power for its own sake. Rather, Islam emphasises good governance in society. Whoever is in power—for example President Goodluck Jonathan—we gave him 100% support throughout his presidency. Nobody said anything negative about him, and he himself knows that.
“So, Islamism is not what some people think. It is not about seizing power; it is about promoting good governance.”

He said the insurgents do not reject Western education because many of them have acquired it.

He said Boko Haram insurgents are aggrieved with educated persons leading bad governance.
“If you have listened to some of their audio recordings—which I had the privilege of hearing—you would notice that they did not say ‘Boko is Haram’. Many of them have gone to school, and as they explained, you cannot open someone’s brain and remove the education they have acquired. Whether one is an engineer, a doctor, or any other professional, that knowledge remains.
“What they are actually saying is that those who are educated are the ones leading bad governments. Their grievance is rooted in bad governance; they want freedom, and they want to live as they feel they should.”