Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Catholic priest and Bishop of the Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Kukah, has flatly denied the existence of any genocide against Christians in Nigeria.
Kukah, who is the Convener of the National Peace Committee (NPC), argued that genocide is not determined by the number of casualties but by intent.
The bishop made the remark while presenting a paper at the 46th Supreme Convention of the Knights of St. Mulumba (KSM) in Kaduna.
He said he aligned himself with the Vatican Secretary of State, the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, and all Catholic bishops in the country on the issue of the alleged persecution of Christians.
Recall that Kukah recently came under attack after urging the international community not to designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern.” He had argued that such a label would heighten tensions, breed suspicion, and allow criminals to exploit the situation—ultimately undermining inter-faith dialogue and cooperation with the government. His critics expressed shock at his recent position on Christian persecution in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event, he said: “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.”
Kukah argued that the term “genocide” is being misused by many Nigerians.
According to him, “Genocide is not based on the number of people killed.”
Continuing, he said: “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 about the issues we discuss.”
Kukah also challenged the narrative of Christian persecution in the country.
“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 challenges faced by Christians to internal disunity, saying: “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.
“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.”
Defending himself against critics, he said: “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.”
