Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev Matthew Hassan Kukah, has urged the international community not to re-designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, CPC, over alleged religious persecution.
This was as he warned that such a move could undermine ongoing efforts to foster peace and interfaith dialogue.
Bishop Kukah made this call at the launch of the Aid to the Church in Need, ACIN, 2025 World Report on Religious Freedom in the World held at the Augustinianum Hall, Vatican City, on October 21.
The cleric acknowledged the country’s deep-seated challenges but insisted that Nigeria should be supported — not punished — as it works to overcome religious violence and national disunity.
The report, which spans 1,248 pages, documents a global decline in religious freedom, with more than 5.4 billion people living in countries where such rights are restricted.
It also identifies authoritarianism, religious extremism, ethno-religious nationalism, and organized crime as key drivers of persecution across the world.
Delivering a paper titled “A Plea and Testimony from Nigeria,” the Bishop stated that while Nigeria continues to grapple with terrorism, insecurity, and ethnic tensions, the situation cannot simply be categorized as targeted persecution of Christians.
“We are not dealing with people going around wielding machetes to kill me because I am a Christian.
“I live and work in Sokoto, right in the womb of Islam, where collaboration between Christians and Muslims remains possible. Our lives should be defined by a better narrative,” he said.
The cleric, however, admitted that Nigeria’s security breakdown has created conditions for what he described as genocide in some communities, citing the federal and state governments’ failure to contain violence and protect citizens.
