The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has denied reports suggesting that he claimed there is no Christian persecution in Nigeria, insisting that his statements were misrepresented.
Speaking on Sunday during an appearance on Boiling Point, a radio programme, Kukah clarified that he has never denied the killing or persecution of Christians in the country. He said the reports circulating on social media and other platforms had taken his comments out of context.
“I never denied the killing of our people [Christians],” Kukah said. “It shocked me that Christians were spreading the idea that I said there is no persecution in Nigeria. The only clarification I can give is that I have never denied it. Whether you call it persecution or genocide, these killings should never have happened.”
The Nigerian government has repeatedly rejected claims of Christian genocide, while some foreign figures, including former US President Donald Trump, have raised the issue in international forums. In November, Trump warned he might intervene militarily to stop the killing of Christians, following repeated claims by some US politicians that Christians were being targeted. On December 25, the US carried out airstrikes on two terrorist camps in Bauni Forest, Tangaza Local Government Area, Sokoto State.
Kukah emphasized that insecurity in Nigeria affects all citizens, regardless of religion, and that Christians and Muslims alike live under the threat of abduction and violence.
“In my central argument about security in Nigeria, it doesn’t matter whether you are Muslim or Christian; everyone is vulnerable,” he said. “Nigerians feel unprotected irrespective of faith, ethnicity, or social class.”
Earlier, in October, Kukah had urged the US government not to redesignate Nigeria as a country of particular concern, reiterating that solutions to insecurity should focus on protecting all citizens rather than framing the issue around a single faith group.
The bishop concluded by calling for genuine action to address killings and terrorism in Nigeria, stressing that assistance from any quarter, including international partners, is welcome—but the violence should never have occurred in the first place.
