Executive Director of the Kukah Centre, Rev. Fr. Atta Barkindo, has raised alarm over Nigeria’s deepening social divisions and unresolved conflicts, warning that the absence of reconciliation and truth-telling platforms could worsen the nation’s fragile peace.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Tuesday, Barkindo shared a disturbing account from a victim in Maiduguri, where a young boy allegedly killed his father and brother for refusing to accept his extremist interpretation of Islam.
According to him, the shocking story underscored the level of trauma and fragmentation within communities ravaged by insurgency and religious extremism in the Northeast.
“There are accumulated grievances in this country — against individuals, institutions, and the government. Conflicts happen and nothing is done; then society moves on as if all is well. That’s a dangerous trend,” he warned.
The cleric, who works closely with Bishop Matthew Kukah on peacebuilding efforts, stressed the need for national healing mechanisms similar to Rwanda’s post-genocide Gacaca project, which encouraged victims and perpetrators to share their stories in pursuit of reconciliation.
He lamented that many Nigerian victims of terrorism and communal violence have no outlet to express their pain or seek closure.
Recalling his experience in Maiduguri, Barkindo said, “One of the women we spoke with told us she could never forgive her son, a Boko Haram member, because he killed his father and brothers in her presence — all because they didn’t believe in his own brand of Islam.
Many families live with such stories but have no platform to speak.”
Barkindo also commended organisations such as the Neem Foundation, led by Dr. Fatima Akilu, for their work in trauma recovery and mental health support for victims of insurgency.
He urged the government to prioritise psychosocial rehabilitation alongside physical reconstruction efforts, saying, “Beyond relief materials and rebuilding houses, the mental recovery of victims is far more important. The government must step up.”
His comments come amid renewed international attention on Nigeria following U.S.
President Donald Trump’s warning of possible military intervention over alleged persecution of Christians in the country.