The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese and Convener of the National Peace Committee, Most Rev. Matthew Kukah, has dismissed claims of Christian persecution in Nigeria, emphasising that genocide is determined by intent, not the number of casualties
Bishop Kukah faced criticism after reportedly urging the international community not to label Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” warning that such a designation could heighten tensions, foster suspicion, and be exploited by criminals, ultimately undermining interfaith dialogue and cooperation with the government.
While presenting a paper at the 46th Supreme Convention of the Knights of St. Mulumba (KSM) in Kaduna, he aligned himself with the Vatican Secretary of State, the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, and other Catholic bishops on the issue of alleged attacks on Christians.
“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,” he said.
On the misuse of the term genocide, he explained, “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.”
Challenging the narrative of Christian persecution, Bishop Kukah asked, “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?”
He attributed many of the challenges faced by Christians to internal disunity. “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 said.
Bishop Kukah also cautioned against loose claims of martyrdom, stating, “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 previous 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.”
He encouraged members of the Knights of St. Mulumba to defend the Church through exemplary conduct, saying, “We are no longer talking about wielding swords, but about living as true witnesses.”
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