KADUNA: Catholic priest and Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Kukah, has dismissed claims of genocide against Christians in Nigeria, stressing that the defining factor of genocide is intent, not the number of casualties.
Speaking at the 46th Supreme Convention of the Knights of St. Mulumba (KSM) in Kaduna, Kukah emphasized that he aligns with the Vatican Secretary of State and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria on the issue of alleged Christian persecution.
Kukah, also Convener of the National Peace Committee (NPC), recently faced criticism for advising the international community against labeling Nigeria a country of particular concern, warning that such a designation could escalate tensions, create suspicion, and be exploited by criminals, undermining inter-faith dialogue.
The narrative that 1,200 churches are burned annually in Nigeria is misleading, Kukah said.
No one contacted the Catholic Church for verified data. The figures circulating avoid the Church because Catholics do not indulge in hearsay.
He stressed that genocide is determined by the intent to eliminate a group, not by numbers killed.
You can kill 10 million people, and it still may not constitute genocide if there is no intent to eliminate a people, he said.
Kukah also challenged claims of Christian persecution, noting that Christians constitute about 80% of Nigeria’s educated population and control up to 85% of the economy.
He attributed many challenges faced by Christians to internal disunity and warned against equating every violent incident with martyrdom.
Defending his position, Kukah stated, I presented a 1,270-page study at the Vatican on genocide in Nigeria and elsewhere. It is inaccurate to claim that genocide or systematic martyrdom is occurring in Nigeria.
