Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, ignited a nationwide controversy with his Christmas sermon, which linked Nigeria’s insecurity to deep socioeconomic failure.

In his Christmas address, the bishop stated that robbers, kidnappers, and extremists are products of the very society they currently terrorise.

Kukah said in his 2025 Christmas message that the neglect of children, education, and morals is fueling violence.

He blamed years of ineffective leadership, governance failures, and a lack of social responsibility.

He stated that people responsible for killings and abductions did not arise suddenly or strangely.

According to the Christmas message, society created them through dysfunctional systems and toxic politics.

“Whether we call them bandits, kidnappers or extremists, they are our children. They came out of our own loins. Our children are our future.”

In his Christmas reflection titled “Joy and Hope in a Time of Tribulation,” Kukah said Nigeria is passing through painful trials.

In his Christmas address, the bishop mentioned homicides, abductions, and panic in several towns.

Despite the pain, he reminded Christians that Christ’s birth represents hope in sad times.

The bishop emphasised that insecurity, particularly in the North, emanates from poverty, ignorance, and moral decay.

Kukah cautioned that neglecting these core issues would bring Nigeria closer to instability.

As a solution, he called for urgent investment in education and moral renewal. “We must either renovate, educate or perish.”

The bishop was concerned about the suffering of children in Nigeria’s broken system.

He stated that many youngsters endure kidnapping, maltreatment, forced labour, and early marriage. He spoke to school abductions in Chibok, Dapchi, Maga, and Papiri.

According to his statement, over 2,000 youngsters in Nigeria have been affected.

He went on to say that comparable catastrophes are taking place all across the world, including Gaza and Sudan.

In response to persecution, Kukah rejected armed retaliation by Christians.

He advocated for religion, prayer, and moral behaviour rather than violence.

He quoted scripture, recalling Jesus asking Peter to lay down his weapon. “Violence cannot defeat violence.”

He stated that Christianity had withstood oppression by tenacity, not force.

The Sokoto-based cleric urged Nigerian politicians to be responsible.

The bishop advised authorities to utilise national resources for the greater benefit.

He stated that instability, poverty, and terrible governance must be addressed honestly. Despite the terrible scenario, Kukah advised Nigerians not to give up hope.

“By the birth of Christ, Emmanuel—God is with us.” He added that Christmas light “is a light that darkness cannot overcome.”

Kukah called on Nigerians to reject hatred and division. “We have buried our dead together. We have mourned together. We must hold together in darkness so we can welcome the light together.”

The bishop acknowledged the government’s and security agencies’ efforts to liberate abducted youngsters.

He referred to recurrent school abductions as “one ordeal too many.” In his closing exhortation, the bishop encouraged Christians to reflect Christ in their daily lives.

“We do not celebrate Christmas as a feast or a date on our calendar. We celebrate it as a vocation — to let the world see and experience the face of Jesus through lives of love, peace and reconciliation.”

He wished Nigerians a Merry Christmas and encouraged them to be hopeful.

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