Executive Director of the Kukah Centre, Rev. Fr. Atta Barkindo, has raised concerns over the deep-rooted grievances and unaddressed conflicts in Nigeria, warning that the lack of reconciliation mechanisms could worsen the country’s social tensions.

Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Tuesday, Barkindo recounted a chilling story shared by a victim in Maiduguri, where a boy reportedly killed his father and brother for not accepting his extremist interpretation of Islam.

His remarks come amid global attention on Nigeria following US President Donald Trump’s warning of possible military action if the Nigerian government fails to address alleged persecution of Christians in the country.

Barkindo said the incident reflects the level of trauma and division within communities affected by insurgency and religious extremism.

The cleric emphasized the need for truth-telling and community healing initiatives similar to Rwanda’s post-genocide Gacaca project, noting that many victims of terrorism in Nigeria have no platform to share their experiences.

Barkindo urged the Nigerian government to take stronger action in addressing the psychological and social aftermath of insurgency, stressing that institutions like the Neem Foundation, led by Dr. Fatima Akilu, have been pivotal in trauma recovery efforts.

He said: “There are accumulation of grievances in this country, either against individuals, against institutions, against the government. Why? Because these conflicts happen and nothing is done, and then the society moves on as if everything is okay. So it’s really going to be a very, very big problem.

“How do we overcome that? At the Kuka center, we try to provide community engagement. And one of the things that is missing, really, is just like what happened in gacha, Rwanda, the Gacaca project, where simply, people come and sit down and tell the truth and onboarding what has been in their mind, just bring out all the poison that have been accumulated over the years, and tell their own stories.

“I will give an example myself and Bishop Kuka, when we started this program, we were in Maiduguri just to speak to victims. One of the women said, even if you bring back my son, who is a member of Boko Haram, I won’t forgive him, because he killed his father and his own brothers in my presence, for not believing in his own brand of Islam.

“And a lot of families are living with these stories, but they don’t have the platform. There’s no outlet. There’s no outlet to even share what is happening. And I think for us, is a very serious problem.

“If you look at these institutions, like Nim Foundation, run by Dr Akilu, these are the sort of intervention that they are offering. So beyond relief materials, beyond physical rebuilding of houses, the mental, you know, recovery of the person is much more important. And I think that we can only do our best, but the government really has to step up.”

‘Boy killed his father, brother for not believing in his own brand of Islam’ – Fr Barkindo