Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah has dismissed claims of a coordinated genocide against Christians, saying the issue is intention, not numbers.

December 9, 2025
Ngala Killian Chimtom
Features, Special Report
0
Print

The Executive Director of the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety), Emeka Umeagbalasi, has strongly criticized Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, questioning the cleric’s impartiality in addressing claims of a Christian genocide in Nigeria.

In exclusive comments to CWR, Umeagbalasi challenged Kukah’s claim that statistics on Christian persecution are unverified. He presented what he termed a “mountain of evidence” from various dioceses and international bodies.

The fiery response comes after Bishop Kukah, a prominent voice in Nigeria, dismissed claims of a coordinated genocide against Christians.

Speaking at the Vatican on October 21 during the launch of Aid to the Church in Need’s Religious Freedom in the World Report 2025, which effectively spotlights Nigeria as one of the worst places to live in for a Christian, Kukah failed to denounce the suffering of Christians in Nigeria. Instead, the Bishop of Sokoto said Nigerians of all stripes suffer, due mainly to insecurity and state weakness.

“If we were dealing with outright persecution of Christians on grounds of identity, both myself and my small flock would not exist,” Kukah said, explaining that he travels freely in the northwestern Nigerian state, with no one troubling him because of his faith. Sokoto is a largely Muslim area.

“By whatever names we choose, the fact is that Nigerians are dying unacceptable deaths across the country. In many cases, they are targeted because of their beliefs but also because of their ethnicity. We are in the cusp of a weak state with a clear lack of capacity to arrest the descent into anarchy.”

Speaking on Friday, November 28, at the 46th Supreme Convention of the Knights of St. Mulumba (KSM) in Kaduna, Kukah doubled down on his denial of a Christian genocide in Nigeria.

“People say there is genocide in Nigeria,” stated Kukah. “My argument is that it is not accurate to claim there is genocide or martyrdom in Nigeria,” noting that Muslims are also killed by extremists.