Bishop Matthew Kukah has stirred fresh controversy after insisting that Christians are not being persecuted in Nigeria. His position challenges widely circulated narratives. Read full details here.
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese and Convener of the National Peace Committee (NPC), Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, has stirred nationwide controversy after boldly declaring that there is no Christian persecution in Nigeria.
The outspoken cleric, who has never shied away from politically sensitive issues, said the widely circulated claims of mass killings, church burnings, and “Christian genocide” are exaggerated, poorly researched, and driven by groups he described as “emotionally charged activists” who have refused to consult credible sources.
Kukah made the remarks while presenting a paper at the 46th Supreme Convention of the Knights of St. Mulumba (KSM) in Kaduna, where he aligned himself with the official positions of the Vatican Secretary of State and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria.
According to Kukah, many of the figures used by international lobby groups and local commentators are invented numbers with no authentic roots.
He questioned:
“They say 1,200 churches are burnt in Nigeria every year. I ask—in which Nigeria? Who verified this? Nobody has approached the Catholic Church for credible data.”
The cleric, known globally for his work in peacebuilding, argued that those pushing the persecution narrative avoid the Catholic Church because “Catholics don’t engage in hearsay.”
Kukah further dismantled claims of genocide, insisting that the concept goes beyond casualty counts.
“You can kill 10 million people and it still won’t amount to genocide. What matters is intent—the deliberate goal to wipe out a group,” he said.
He added that careless use of such sensitive terms fuels diplomatic tension, heightens interfaith suspicion, and gives criminals new opportunities to exploit division.
In one of his most controversial statements, Kukah declared that Nigerian Christians remain one of the most powerful demographic groups in the country:
-80% of educated Nigerians are Christians
-Christians control up to 85% of the Nigerian economy
He argued that a group with such dominance cannot accurately claim systemic persecution.
“If you say you are persecuted, how? Christians have economic and educational dominance. So, where is the persecution?” he asked.
The Real Problem? Disunity Among Christians
Kukah blamed internal division for enabling attacks on Christian communities.
“Christians succumb to bullies. When we stand together—believing that an injury to one is an injury to all—these things will stop.”
He also faulted the trend of labeling any victim of violence inside a church as a martyr.
“If someone is killed while stealing yam or attacked by bandits, does that automatically make them a martyr?” he queried, urging Christians to think deeply and avoid emotional generalizations.
Responding to criticisms that followed his earlier comments abroad, Kukah said he submitted a 1,270-page study on genocide at the Vatican, but never claimed there is genocide in Nigeria.
Kukah urged the Knights to defend the Church—not by weapons—but through exemplary lives, discipline, and protection of the faith.
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