Our Reporter, Abuja
The Kukah Centre has issued a clarification following widespread public backlash over comments attributed to the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, His Grace, Most Revd. Matthew Hassan Kukah, on alleged genocide against Christians in Nigeria.
The fiery Catholic priest was recently reported to have denied the existence of any genocide against Christians in Nigeria, a position many argue was inconsistent with some of his past statements.
But in a press release on Monday, the Kukah Centre accused some media outlets of “selectively quoting and distorting” the Bishop’s speeches delivered at two high-profile events — the launch of the 2025 World Report on Religious Freedom at the Vatican on October 21, and the 46th Supreme Convention of the Knights of St. Mulumba in Kaduna on October 28.
Contrary to claims that Bishop Kukah downplayed the severity of religious persecution, the Centre insisted the cleric’s stance had remained “consistent and unequivocal” in condemning violence against Christians.
Quoting paragraph 5 of his Vatican address, the statement noted that Bishop Kukah had warned: “We do have serious problems… The inability of the federal government and its security agencies to end these killings has created the condition for the genocide that has taken over many communities today… In many cases, they are targeted because of their beliefs but also because of their ethnicity.”
According to the Centre, the excerpt clearly showed that the Bishop did not minimise the plight of Christian communities but underscored the complex interplay of religious, ethnic and regional factors fuelling the violence, as well as the government’s failure to halt the killings.
The statement also defended Kukah’s remarks in Kaduna, saying his presentation — which traced the historical roots of persecution from the Crucifixion of Christ to the martyrdom of early disciples — was aimed at strengthening Christian communities through “faith, resilience, solidarity, justice and healing.”
It added that Bishop Kukah charged members of the Knights of St. Mulumba to defend the Church “not through violence but by exemplary conduct and integrity,” in line with Catholic doctrine.
The Kukah Centre expressed concern that “out-of-context quotes risk exacerbating tensions in an already fragile security environment,” insisting that the Bishop’s decades-long advocacy for religious freedom, interfaith harmony and justice remained unwavering.
To curb further misinterpretation, the Centre announced that full transcripts of both speeches had been published on its website, urging the media and the public to engage the texts in their entirety.
“Nigeria’s path to justice requires truth, not distortion,” the Centre added.
