Catholic Bishop of the Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has denied claims that he said Christians in Nigeria are not facing persecution.
The bishop described the reports as false and said he was surprised that some people were still attributing such a statement to him despite the clarity of his position.
In a statement titled “Of the persecution of Christians in Nigeria: My response,” Kukah explained that media reports misrepresented his comments.
Earlier reports quoted him as questioning the narrative of Christian persecution, allegedly citing the high number of educated Christians and their control of a large part of the economy.
He was quoted as saying, “If you are a Christian in Nigeria and you say you are persecuted, my question is: how? At least 80 per cent of educated Nigerians are Christians, and up to 85 per cent of the Nigerian economy is controlled by Christians. With such figures, how can anyone say Christians are being persecuted?”
Kukah clarified that he was calling for unity among Christians. He stressed that with the resources and influence available to the Christian community, the main challenge is solidarity, not the absence of persecution.
“For over a week, I have been in the news on the basis of multiple claims that I had said that there was no persecution of Christians in Nigeria. The outpouring of emotions is understandable especially against the backdrop of the inviolability of life, the extermination of which must not be undermined by any debates on numbers or intent,” he said.
He expressed gratitude to his colleagues at The Kukah Centre for issuing a statement on his behalf but said personal responsibility required him to clarify his position directly.
“So, for the record, I did not say that Christians are not persecuted in Nigeria! Addressing an audience of the Catholic Knights of St. Mulumba in Kaduna on November 28th, I had spoken about the challenges of bearing witness to Christ in a time of persecution. I drew lessons from history and the stories of brave men and women in Nigeria and Africa as models of witnessing in times such as these,” the bishop stated.
He added that the greatest challenge for Christians is unity and solidarity. “Given the huge human and material resources that we have as Christians in Nigeria, if only we stood together, I argued, we would have no reason to be victims of persecution. Nothing here implied a denial of the fate of Christians,” he said.
Kukah also called on the government and security agencies to hold perpetrators of violence accountable, warning that neglect or failure to act worsens the situation.
“As people, I believe we owe ourselves the collective duty to regain our humanity not as perpetual victims but as equal citizens of our land. Too many innocent souls have been lost, too much blood shed and our children and citizens are in captivity. Amidst the nadir of this pain, it is important that we focus on reclaiming the soul of our nation,” he added.
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"No Christian Persecution( Genocide ) in Nigeria" – Bishop Kukah
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese and Convener of the National Peace Committee (NPC), Most Rev. Matthew Kukah, has insisted that there is no persecution of Christians in Nigeria, stressing that genocide is determined not by the number of casualties but by intent.
Bishop Kukah recently came under criticism after being quoted as urging the international community not to designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” arguing that such a label would heighten tensions, breed suspicion, and allow criminals to exploit the situation—ultimately undermining interfaith dialogue and cooperation with government.
Speaking while presenting a paper at the 46th Supreme Convention of the Knights of St. Mulumba (KSM) in Kaduna, he stated that on the issue of alleged Christian killings in Nigeria, he aligns fully with the Vatican Secretary of State, the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, and all Catholic bishops in the country.
He said: “They are saying that 1,200 churches are burnt in Nigeria every year, and I ask myself—in which Nigeria? Interestingly, nobody approached the Catholic Church to get accurate data. We do not know where these figures came from.
All those talking about persecution—has anyone ever called to ask, ‘Bishop Kukah, what is the situation?’ The data being circulated cleverly avoids the Catholic Church because they know Catholics do not indulge in hearsay.”
Explaining the misuse of the word genocide, he noted: “Genocide is not based on the number of people killed. You can kill 10 million people and it still won’t amount to genocide. The critical determinant is intent—whether the aim is to eliminate a group of people. So, you don’t determine genocide by numbers; you determine it by intention. We need to be more clinical in the issues we discuss.”
He further challenged the narrative of Christian persecution in the country: “If you are a Christian in Nigeria and you say you are persecuted, my question is: how? At least 80% of educated Nigerians are Christians, and up to 85% of the Nigerian economy is controlled by Christians. With such figures, how can anyone say Christians are being persecuted?”
Bishop Kukah attributed many challenges faced by Christians to internal disunity, saying: “The main problem is that Christians succumb to bullies. The day we decide to stand together believing that an injury to one is an injury to all. These things will stop.”
He also criticized loose claims of martyrdom: “Because someone is killed in a church, does that automatically make them a martyr? Whether you are killed while stealing someone’s yam or attacked by bandits, does that qualify as martyrdom? I am worried because we must think more deeply.”
Clarifying misconceptions about his earlier remarks, he added: “People say there is genocide in Nigeria. What I presented at the Vatican was a 1,270-page study on genocide in Nigeria and elsewhere. My argument is that it is not accurate to claim there is genocide or martyrdom in Nigeria.”
Bishop Kukah urged members of the Knights of St. Mulumba to defend the Church through exemplary conduct: “We are no longer talking about wielding swords, but about living as true witnesses.”
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