The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, on Sundat said that the North-west zone has become a massive crime scene.
He stressed that over 20,000 people have lost their lives in 4,500 incidents of violent attacks in the North-west, according to available statistics.
Kukah made these remarks while delivering a keynote address at the Northwest Regional Conference on Women, Peace, and Security, organised by Global Rights in collaboration with the UK Aid Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Kukah Centre, the Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative, and others.
Speaking on the theme, “Sustaining Inclusive Peace-building Processes in Northwest, Nigeria,” the Catholic clergy stated that the violence visited on the people of the northwest will not be resolved by military force or through political means alone.
He said, “The indicators are not regular at all; we were told that in the North-west alone, 4,500 incidents of violent attacks were recorded, over 20,000 people lost their lives, and 76 percent of the abductions that took place in Northern Nigeria occurred in the North-west.
‘The North-west has become a massive crime scene, and we cannot run away from that reality.
“As non-state actors or ordinary civilians, the truth is that it has become clear to us that the problems Nigeria faces now, and the violent extremism that has permeated our society, cannot be resolved by military force or through political means alone.
“Something different has to happen. I cannot prescribe what it is, but I think that a collective decision by ordinary men and women, children, and elders in communities can help build a wall of resilience.
“This resilience doesn’t necessarily stop people from coming in, but it gives us inner strength. Our collective survival would have to depend on how willing we are to work and stand together.”
Stating that there is no civilization without a significant role and place for women in society, Bishop Kukah said, “In Africa, there are many horrible and bad cultural practices that have become predominant, which we must abandon.”
Some of these bad practices, he said, are coming back through the back door of religion, and people are exploiting these sentiments to say that women have no place in public spaces.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Executive Director of Global Rights, Abiodun Baiyewu, said the security crisis in the North-west has grown over the past 10 years.
She stated that the regional conference was convened for three reasons: “to deliberate on the security crisis threatening Nigeria’s peace and unity, examine the role of social cohesion in peacebuilding, and celebrate the women and men who make peace and security possible in the zone”.
In her goodwill message, the Executive Director of Partners West Africa – Nigeria, Kemi Okenyodo, said women’s inclusion in peacebuilding is not just a matter of equity; it is a proven pathway to more effective conflict resolution and long-term stability.
