Kukah: Boko Haram is an idea — military operations alone won’t end it

Matthew Kukah, the Catholic bishop of Sokoto Diocese, says Nigeria cannot defeat insurgency through military operations alone.

Kukah spoke on Thursday while reviewing ‘Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum’, a new book authored by Lucky Irabor, former chief of defence staff.

He said the country’s reliance on military doctrines and repeated counter-insurgency operations had failed to produce lasting peace because Boko Haram represented an ideology, not just an armed threat.

“For years, we have had Operation Lafiya Dole, Operation Restore Order, Operation Hadin Kai, Operation Safe Haven, and many others,” he said.

“Yet, when one operation fails, another is launched. These operations have not ended the insurgency because you cannot fight an idea with weapons alone”

Kukah said describing the insurgency only in military terms forecloses other sources of information and non-kinetic solutions that are critical to peacebuilding.

He said Boko Haram’s struggle is framed as a jihad, and many of its fighters see death as martyrdom, making them indifferent to conventional deterrence.

“The challenge before us is not merely about defeating insurgents on the battlefield, but about understanding the soft issues of life and death. Guns cannot build peace; soft power must complement military power,” he said.

Kukah pointed to chapters 11, 12 and 13 of Irabor’s book, which emphasise reconciliation, good governance, justice, and national healing as critical conditions for security.

He praised the author’s reflections for going beyond military strategy, describing them as the “writings of a priest” that call for dialogue, reforms and moral renewal.

The bishop said Nigeria must prioritise structural reforms, political inclusion, patriotism, and judicial integrity to tackle grievances that feed extremism.

“The urgency now is to invest in soft power – in human development, reconciliation, and building trust in institutions. Military operations can only create space; it is ideas and justice that will sustain peace,” Kukah said.