Nigeria: Archbishop of Sokoto - 'No One Asks the Catholic Church If the Figures On Persecution Are Accurate'

Ivo Brandau / OCHA
Nigerian refugees at Minawao refugee camp, northern Cameroon (file photo).
1 December 2025
Fides News Agency (Vatican)

Abuja — There is no genocide against Christians in Nigeria. This was affirmed by Archbishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto in northern Nigeria in his address to the 46th Supreme Assembly of the Knights of St. Mulumba (a Catholic order of knights founded in Onitsha in 1953).

In this context, Archbishop Kukah questioned the figures published by various media outlets, particularly the claim that 1,200 churches are burned down in Nigeria every year. "They are saying that 1,200 churches are burnt in Nigeria every year, and I ask myself, in which Nigeria? Interestingly, nobody approached the Catholic Church to get accurate data. We do not know where these figures came from," said the Archbishop, urging people to contact the Nigerian Bishops' Conference to verify the data published by sources that are not always reliable.

"All those talking about persecution, has anyone ever called to ask: 'Bishop Kukah, what is the situation?' The data being circulated cleverly avoids the Catholic Church because they know Catholics do not indulge in hearsay," he emphasized.

Archbishop Kukah further explained that the definition of genocide is based on intent, not the number of victims: "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."

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The archbishop, who also chairs the National Peace Committee (NPC), an organization originally established to promote the peaceful conduct of the 2015 general elections and comprised of representatives from various faiths and civil society, added: "If you are a Christian in Nigeria and you say you are persecuted, my question is: 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?"

The Archbishop of Sokoto's statement coincided with accusations of genocide against Christians in Nigeria, raised by some American lawmakers. These allegations prompted US President Donald Trump to reclassify Nigeria as a country of special concern, threatening to send troops if the Nigerian government fails to end the massacres.

Read the original article on Agenzia Fides.

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