The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, has raised concerns over the persistent killings in different parts of Nigeria, calling on Nigerians to unite and put an end to the bloodshed.

Speaking on Monday in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, Kukah delivered the review of a book on Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, authored by his former Director General of Media and Communication, Mr Solomon Kumangar.

The book is titled “The Man They Could Not Stop.”

Kukah said Nigeria is increasingly divided along religious lines, a situation he claimed is being fuelled by the Western media.

He stressed that Nigerians must work collectively to stop the ongoing violence in the country.

“What is happening in Nigeria cannot happen in Sudan, Cameroon, Niger, Ghana or in any other country in the world.

“There is no other country where 10 people are killed on Monday, 50 on Tuesday, 100 on Wednesday, and the killings continue every week. How can such a country move forward?” he asked.

Kukah added, “Only in Nigeria do people die as Christians and Muslims. The Western media is fuelling the killings along religious lines — 20 Christians killed, 30 Muslims killed.”

He called on political and religious leaders to build strong institutions capable of uniting Nigerians for peace and national development.

The cleric also commended former Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, for his intervention during the governorship crisis that followed the 2023 general elections in Adamawa State.

Also speaking at the event, former Senate President and ex-Kwara State Governor, Dr Bukola Saraki, who was the guest speaker, urged Nigerians to prioritise competence and leadership qualities over political affiliation.

Saraki said Nigeria could only move forward when the right people are given the opportunity to lead, adding that Fintiri’s record in infrastructure development showed he was prepared for leadership.

The Chairman of the occasion and Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, in his remarks, urged Fintiri to consider joining the All Progressives Congress (APC) for what he described as greater development.

“APC is moving from Rivers, Plateau, Taraba and Kano states, and our next destination is Adamawa State.

“If I had come with the APC cap and flag, I would have handed them to you today as our new member,” he said.

Sule also commended the author of the book, noting that Fintiri’s administration has challenged many governors to sit up and effectively discharge their constitutional responsibilities.

In his remarks, Fintiri said, “I am a man of destiny. There were numerous futile attempts to stop me. The 2023 election was the height of them, and an embarrassing one not only to the state but to the nation and democracy globally.

“In 2023, we saw treachery; we saw assault; we saw the moral compromise of a bankrupt elite masked as patriots.

But most importantly, we saw the support and resilience of the true Adamawa people and friendships that go beyond the state.”

Fintiri added that without the events of 2023, he would not have known some people for who they truly are — “pretentious, greedy, opportunistic and desperate, yet crying victimhood while claiming democratic credentials they are far removed from.”

“The sad news is that this clique of pretenders and political puppeteers are still around, shuttling between Yola and Abuja, shamelessly and dangerously hovering around our democracy,” he said.

He urged Nigerians not to wait for the justice system alone to deal with such individuals.

“We must, as we did in 2023, resist them with our votes and unmask them to the world,” Fintiri said.

The book launch was attended by the governors of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed; Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule; the Deputy Governor of Oyo State; and representatives of Gombe, Borno, Yobe, Taraba and Plateau states.

The Deputy National Vice Chairman (North-East) of the APC, Mustapha Salihu, unveiled the book, urging the people of Adamawa State to continue supporting Governor Fintiri to enable him to deliver more developmental projects. (The PUNCH)

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