There is a dangerous lie spreading across Nigeria — the claim that Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah “denies” Christian genocide. It is a lie born from fear, guilt, and political desperation. And it must be confronted head-on. Bishop Kukah has never denied the systematic targeting of Christians in Northern Nigeria.
He was one of the FIRST public figures to expose: The assassination of priests The burning of churches The mass displacement of Christian villages The ransom economy built on Christian bodies The complicity of silence within the state Kukah’s voice has been consistent ever since the days when it was dangerous to speak these truths.
So why does he avoid the exact word “genocide”? Simple: Because he is a Bishop — not a Twitter warrior. Because he follows Vatican diplomatic protocol — not Nigerian political games. Because “genocide” is not just a word — it is an international legal trigger.
If Kukah officially declares GENOCIDE in Nigeria, the country enters global legal territory involving: The ICC UN Special Rapporteurs Vatican inquiry panels US and EU religious freedom sanctions International investigations into the Nigerian government’s failure to protect minorities For a Catholic bishop, uttering “genocide” is not rhetoric — it is a formal accusation with diplomatic weight.
So he speaks in the language of precision: “Genocide by erosion.” “Genocide by attrition.” “Genocide by neglect and complicity.” “Systematic destruction of Christian communities.” These are not denials. These are carefully calibrated confirmations designed to expose the danger without triggering Vatican protocol prematurely.
People twisting Kukah’s caution into denial are doing so for one reason: To weaken the only northern Christian intellectual they cannot buy, silence, or intimidate. They want to destroy his credibility so that the atrocities he describes can be dismissed as “exaggeration.” But facts speak louder than propaganda: A priest was murdered in Kaduna this week. His wife and child are still in captivity.
Christian villages in Chikun, Zangon Kataf, Kaura, and Birnin Gwari are disappearing. Churches are attacked with no consequences. Security agencies respond with recycled press statements. Bandits operate like licensed militias. And yet they say: “Kukah denies genocide.” No. Kukah is simply refusing to give politicians the escape route they crave.
He will not hand them a technicality they can twist. He is naming the crime without giving them a loophole. What Bishop Kukah has done is more courageous: He has forced Nigeria — and the world — to confront the truth. He has kept the conversation alive without triggering the traps of political spin. He has documented the pain of Christians so history will not forget.
The Bishop did not deny genocide. He avoided a legal term so that the reality behind the term cannot be dismissed. Nobody should confuse diplomacy with denial.
What Kukah sees, he names. What he names, he stands by.
And the killings have only proved him right.
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