Catholic Bishop of the Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has clarified that he never denied the persecution of Christians in Nigeria, stressing that his earlier remarks were taken out of context.
Kukah spoke on Sunday during an appearance on Boiling Point, a radio programme, after reports circulated suggesting he dismissed claims of violence against Christians in the country.
The clarification comes amid heightened international attention on Nigeria’s security situation. On October 31, United States President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) following allegations of systematic violations of religious freedom and claims of a Christian genocide. The CPC classification is used by the US government for countries accused of “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom.”
While the Nigerian government has consistently rejected claims of genocide, the issue gained further attention in November when Trump warned that the United States could take military action to protect Christians, after repeated claims by some American politicians. On December 25, the US carried out airstrikes on two terrorist hideouts in the Bauni forest area of Tangaza Local Government Area in Sokoto State.
Responding to the controversy, Kukah said he was disturbed by reports suggesting he denied Christian persecution.
“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.
“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.
“Wherever we can get help from, Trump, whatever, these killings ought not to have happened in the first place.”
Kukah also noted that insecurity in Nigeria affects all citizens, regardless of religious affiliation, warning that both Christians and Muslims face the risk of violence and abduction.
“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.