BISHOP KUKAH SPARKS DEBATE: NO CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION IN NIGERIA, SAYS INTENT MATTERS
GREATRIBUNETVNEWS-Bishop Matthew Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese and Convener of the National Peace Committee, has sparked controversy by stating that there is no persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
Here are the key points from his statement :
– Intent is Key : “Genocide is not based on the number of people killed. 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,” Bishop Kukah emphasized.
– Questioning Persecution Claims : “If you are a Christian in Nigeria and you say you are persecuted, my question is, whichNigeria?: 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?”
– Lack of Accurate Data : Bishop Kukah questioned the claim that 1,200 churches are burnt in Nigeria every year. He asked, which Nigeria ? He stated further that nobody approached the Catholic Church for accurate data.
– Alignment with Vatican and Nigerian Bishops : 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 alleged Christian killings.
– Criticism of Loose Claims : Bishop Kukah criticized loose claims of martyrdom, saying, “Because someone is killed in a church, does that automatically make them a martyr?”
– Call for Unity : He attributed challenges faced by Christians to internal disunity, urging them to stand together against bullies.
Bishop Kukah 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.”
He also criticized loose claims of martyrdom: “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.”
Clarifying misconceptions about his earlier remarks, he added: “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.”
Bishop Kukah urged members of the Knights of St. Mulumba to defend the Church through exemplary conduct: “We are no longer talking about wielding swords, but about living as true witnesses.”
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