Catholic Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, Bishop of the Sokoto Catholic Diocese and founder of the Kukah Centre, has stated that Nigeria’s fight against insecurity will continue to be ineffective unless the country recommits to justice and the rule of law.
Speaking on Saturday in Jos, Plateau State, during the commissioning of the House of Justice office, Bishop Kukah emphasized the critical role justice plays in national security.
“It is essential for a country like ours to respect the rule of law. Failure to address injustice only leads to greater insecurity.”
“When mass atrocities occur, no one considers the long-lasting impacts on the victims and communities; our focus is often on the perpetrators. The rule of law must be upheld,” he said.
Kukah lamented the neglect of victims in areas like Benue, Plateau, and other states plagued by violence, arguing that institutional failure to ensure justice only worsens national insecurity.
He warned that merely having laws in place is not enough if they are not meaningfully enforced.
“Justice is not something that will be handed to you as a gift. Courts alone cannot deliver justice unless someone approaches them,” Kukah noted.
Encouraging citizens not to withdraw in frustration, he urged Nigerians to actively seek justice, even in the face of perceived systemic corruption.
The CEO of House of Justice, Gloria Mabeiam Esq., also spoke at the event, stressing that Nigeria is burdened by a mounting backlog of unaddressed grievances.
She described it as a significant “justice debt”, saying the country must confront these lingering issues if it is to move forward with fairness and accountability.
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