Kukah’s Remarks On Northern Christians’ Persecution Misrepresented – Centre

The Kukah Centre (TKC) has raised the alarm over what it described as the persistent mischaracterisation of recent remarks made by its founder, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, on issues relating to religious freedom and the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

In a statement released yesterday in Abuja, the centre said some media reports had selectively quoted or wrongly attributed comments to Bishop Kukah following two recent events: the launch of the 2025 World Report on Religious Freedom at the Vatican on October 21, 2025, and his address at the 46th Supreme Convention of the Knights of St. Mulumba held in Kaduna on October 28, 2025.”

TKC clarified that contrary to claims that Bishop Kukah downplayed the gravity of Christian persecution in Northern Nigeria, the Catholic cleric had consistently highlighted the severity of the crisis and the suffering it inflicts on affected communities.

The Centre pointed to paragraph 5 of Bishop Kukah’s 13-paragraph address at the Vatican, in which he condemned government inaction and warned of escalating violence driven by security failures.

According to TKC, this single paragraph “demonstrates clearly” that the Bishop did not minimise the reality of persecution but instead drew attention to its worsening consequences.

Addressing interpretations of his Kaduna presentation, TKC insisted the Bishop’s remarks were again misrepresented.

The Centre explained that the PowerPoint presentation traced the long history of Christian persecution from the time of Christ and was intended to encourage faith, solidarity, justice, and healing among Christian communities.

It stressed that the Bishop’s presentation “validated the persecution of Christians rather than denied or diminished it.”

To promote accurate reporting and end the persistent misinterpretations, TKC announced that both the Vatican speech and the Kaduna presentation have been uploaded to its website for public access.

Reaffirming its position, the Centre called for zero tolerance for religious persecution, solidarity with victims, and accountability for perpetrators across Nigeria.