- Bishop Matthew Kukah has clarified that he never denied the persecution of Christians in Nigeria, saying his comments were misrepresented and stressing that insecurity affects all Nigerians.
- The controversy followed Nigeria’s redesignation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) by former US President Donald Trump on October 31 over allegations of Christian genocide.
Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has dismissed reports claiming he said there is no persecution of Christians in Nigeria, stating that his comments were misunderstood.
Kukah made the clarification on Sunday while speaking on Boiling Point, a radio programme aired nationwide.
The controversy followed Nigeria’s redesignation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) by former US President Donald Trump on October 31 over allegations of Christian genocide. The CPC label is used for countries accused of “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom.”
Although the Nigerian government has rejected claims of genocide, the issue gained global attention after Trump warned in November that the US could intervene militarily to protect Christians in Nigeria. On December 25, the US later carried out air strikes on two terrorist hideouts in the Bauni forest area of Tangaza LGA, Sokoto State.
Responding to the reports, Kukah said his earlier remarks were taken out of context.
“I never denied the killing of our people [Christians],” he said.
“I don’t want to go into the details of the mischaracterisation of what I said, but it shocked me that Christians were going around saying that I said there is no persecution of Christians in Nigeria.”
He stressed that he has always acknowledged the violence against Christians.
“The only clarification I can give is that I have never denied that there is persecution of Christians in Nigeria. Whether it’s persecution, whether it’s genocide, by God, this thing ought not to have happened,” Kukah said.
“Wherever we can get help from, Trump, whatever, these killings ought not to have happened in the first place.”
Kukah also noted that insecurity affects all Nigerians, regardless of religion.
“In my central argument about security in Nigeria, it doesn’t matter where you are, whether you are Muslim, whether you are Christian, you are in danger of being abducted,” he said.
He added that Nigerians “feel vulnerable and unprotected irrespective of their faiths, ethnicity or social classes”.
Leave a Reply