Kukah Centre refutes misreports, reaffirms Bishop Kukah’s stand on religious persecution

The Kukah Centre (TKC) has issued a formal statement countering what it described as widespread mischaracterisation of remarks made by its founder, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, on the escalating challenges surrounding freedom of religion and the persecution of Christians in Northern Nigeria.

In the statement released on Monday, TKC expressed concern over recent media reports which it said selectively quoted and distorted Bishop Kukah’s comments from two major events: the launch of the 2025 World Report on Religious Freedom at the Vatican on October 21, and his keynote address at the 46th Supreme Convention of the Knights of St. Mulumba in Kaduna on October 28.

According to the Centre, contrary to claims in the reports, Bishop Kukah has never downplayed the gravity of faith-based persecution in Nigeria. Rather, his long-standing position has been consistent and unequivocal.

Citing paragraph five of his Vatican remarks, TKC noted that Bishop Kukah had explicitly condemned the deterioration of security and the state’s failure to curb targeted killings across the country. In his words: “We do have serious problems… The inability of the federal government and its security agencies to end these killings has created the condition for the genocide that has taken over many communities today… In many cases, they are targeted because of their beliefs but also because of their ethnicity.”

TKC emphasised that Bishop Kukah’s Kaduna presentation — which traced the historical roots of persecution from the Crucifixion of Christ to the martyrdom of his disciples — was aimed at strengthening Christian communities with messages of faith, solidarity, justice, and healing. The structure of the presentation, the Centre insisted, clearly validated the current realities of Christian persecution rather than diminishing them.

“These — faith, solidarity, justice, and healing — are goals to which His Lordship has made a life-long commitment and in whose pursuit he yields to no one,” the statement affirmed.

To curb further misrepresentation, TKC announced that full texts and materials from the Vatican and Kaduna speeches have been published on its website for public access.

The Centre reiterated its call for zero tolerance toward religious persecution, urging unwavering solidarity with victims and demanding accountability for perpetrators nationwide.

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