The Catholic Bishop of the Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, on Tuesday denied claims that he said Christians in Nigeria are not facing persecution.
Earlier reports quoted the renowned cleric as questioning the narrative of Christian persecution, allegedly citing the high number of educated Christians and their control of a large part of the economy.
“If you are a Christian in Nigeria and you say you are persecuted, my question is: how? At least 80 percent of educated Nigerians are Christians, and up to 85 per cent of the Nigerian economy is controlled by Christians. With such figures, how can anyone say Christians are being persecuted?” he was quoted to have said.
In a statement titled “Of the persecution of Christians in Nigeria: My response,” the bishop described the reports as false, adding that he was surprised that some people were still attributing such a statement to him despite the clarity of his position.
Kukah clarified that he was calling for unity among Christians, stressing that with the resources and influence available to the Christian community, the main challenge is solidarity, not the absence of persecution.
“For over a week, I have been in the news on the basis of multiple claims that I had said that there was no persecution of Christians in Nigeria. The outpouring of emotions is understandable especially against the backdrop of the inviolability of life, the extermination of which must not be undermined by any debates on numbers or intent,” the statement read.
He expressed gratitude to his colleagues at The Kukah Centre for issuing a statement on his behalf but said personal responsibility required him to clarify his position directly.
“So, for the record, I did not say that Christians are not persecuted in Nigeria! Addressing an audience of the Catholic Knights of St. Mulumba in Kaduna on November 28th, I had spoken about the challenges of bearing witness to Christ in a time of persecution. I drew lessons from history and the stories of brave men and women in Nigeria and Africa as models of witnessing in times such as these,” the bishop stated.
“I concluded that the greatest challenge for Christians was unity and solidarity. Given the huge human and material resources that we have as Christians in Nigeria, if only we stood together, I argued, we would have no reason to be victims of persecution. Nothing here implied a denial of the fate of Christians.”
Over the years, he stressed that he had spoken extensively on the theme of persecution of Christians and had argued then as now that by whatever name it is described, the bloodshed needed to end as soon as yesterday because common humanity is at stake.
The government and its security agencies, he said, have an urgent responsibility to bring the perpetrators to account, pointing out that it is their neglect of this duty or their failure to accomplish it that has detained everyone in an appearance of disagreement without difference.
“As a people, I believe we owe ourselves the collective duty to regain our humanity not as perpetual victims but as equal citizens of our land. Too many innocent souls have been lost, too much blood shed and our children and citizens are in captivity. Amidst the nadir of this pain, it is important that we focus on reclaiming the soul of our nation.
“I am deeply sorry for the unnecessary distraction. These moments are too serious for us to equivocate. This is not the time for us to retreat or be distracted. This is a contest that we must win. The journey may be painful. We may falter along the way but we will only reach our destination by learning our lessons, standing up even when we stumble, and always keeping our eyes on the ultimate prize, peace for our country, justice for those injured, and reconciliation for our people.
“This is a struggle that I have committed most of my pastoral and intellectual life to. It is a struggle in which I pray that, by clinging to the old rugged cross, we can one day exchange it for a crown. So, let us all get back on the road especially as the spirit of Bethlehem beckons” he admonished
