Abuja | December 1, 2025
The Kukah Centre has issued an official clarification over recent reports allegedly misrepresenting comments made by its founder, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, on the issue of religious freedom and the persecution of Christians in Northern Nigeria.
In a statement released on Monday, the Centre said it has followed with concern the growing public reactions to remarks attributed to Bishop Kukah, noting that portions of his comments were selectively reported and taken out of context.
According to TKC, the controversial reports stemmed from two separate events:
The launch of the 2025 World Report on Religious Freedom at the Vatican on October 21, 2025, and The 46th Supreme Convention of the Knights of St. Mulumba in Kaduna on October 28, 2025.
The Centre stressed that at no time did Bishop Kukah downplay, deny, or trivialize the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. On the contrary, it noted that during his Vatican address, the Catholic cleric openly acknowledged the severity of the crisis and blamed years of government failure and security lapses for the escalation of violence across several communities.
He was quoted as warning that government inaction has allowed insecurity to deteriorate to levels resembling genocide in parts of the country, adding that many Nigerians are being targeted due to both religious and ethnic identities.
TKC further explained that at the Knights of St. Mulumba Convention in Kaduna, Bishop Kukah spoke from a historical and faith-based perspective, tracing Christian persecution back to the time of Christ and encouraging believers to remain steadfast in faith, unity, justice, and healing, rather than denying the reality of modern-day persecution.
The Centre described Bishop Kukah as a lifelong advocate for justice and religious tolerance, insisting that his record clearly reflects zero tolerance for persecution, strong solidarity with victims, and calls for accountability against perpetrators.
TKC announced that the full texts of the speeches in question have been made publicly available on its official website to encourage transparent and accurate reporting.
The Centre also renewed its call for an end to religious persecution in Nigeria, justice for victims, and decisive action against all forms of extremism.
— Kabido News