Nigerians “dying for a living”: Catholic Bishop Decries Persistent Violence, Calls for Global Support

Jos, 28 October, 2025 / 2:46 AM

Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto in Nigeria has decried the wave of killings and insecurity in the West African nation and termed the situation “a national tragedy.”

Speaking at the launch of Aid to the Church in Need’s 2025 World Report on Religious Freedom in the World at the Augustinian Patristic Pontifical Institute in Rome, Bishop Kukah lamented that Nigerians “are dying for a living” amid continued attacks, which he said have blurred the line between criminality and religious persecution.

The report that was being launched, the Nigerian Catholic Bishop said, “reveals a worrying decline” in global respect for religious freedom, with “more than 5.4 billion people living in countries without religious freedom.”

The Local Ordinary of Sokoto Diocese, since his Episcopal Ordination in September 2011, lamented that for over 15 years, extremist groups such as Boko Haram and other jihadist militias have “ravaged communities, displaced thousands, and destroyed livelihoods,” leaving parts of northern and central Nigeria desolate.

While earlier narratives attempted to frame the conflict as “farmer-herder clashes or mere criminality,” Bishop Kukah said the deliberate targeting of churches, schools, hospitals, priests, and seminarians shows that “we are dealing with religious persecution, especially of Christians.”

Still, he cautioned against oversimplifying the situation, explaining that while Christians are under threat, many moderate Muslims have also become victims of extremist violence. 

“The floods of blood in Nigeria have no boundaries. Nigerians are dying for a living,” he said during the October 21 event..

Bishop Kukah blamed the deterioration of interfaith relations on the negligence of successive governments, saying the state’s failure to act has emboldened killers. 

“The inability of the federal and state governments to end these killings has created the condition for the genocide that has taken over many communities today,” he said, adding, “We are in the cusp of a weak state with a clear lack of capacity to arrest the descent into anarchy.”

He faulted the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing it as “the worst phase in the history of interfaith relations in Nigeria,” alleging that it “gave oxygen to jihadists” by policies that favored Islam and the North. 

“Under Buhari, to gain power, it was more important to be a northern Muslim than to be a citizen of Nigeria,” the Nigerian Catholic Bishop said.

Turning to the current government, the 73-year-old Catholic Church leader expressed “cautious hope,” pointing to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mixed-faith family and appointments of Christians to key positions as “confidence-building measures.”

“The President being a Muslim and his wife a Pentecostal pastor gives hope,” he said, adding, “Christians have not felt alienated under this administration, and the government has shown empathy by visiting victims and supporting communities affected by violence.”

Citing the Global Terrorism Index Report 2025, Bishop Kukah noted a reported 37% decline in terrorist attacks in Nigeria in 2024 but warned that religious freedom “remains under grave threat,” with discriminatory laws and atrocities continuing across northern states.

Addressing international concerns, Bishop Kukah urged Western nations, particularly the United States, not to redesignate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) for religious persecution—a status it previously held under the Trump administration.

“Such a move will hurt ongoing dialogue with the current government,” he warned, adding, “It will only increase tensions, sow suspicion, and allow criminals to exploit the situation. Nigeria needs support, not punishment.”

While acknowledging persistent impunity, he said civil society and international partners like ACN should “press for change” and “deliberately work to end impunity” rather than isolate the country.

Bishop Kukah urged Nigeria’s leaders to bring all state and religious laws under the national constitution and to address the daily discrimination faced by Christian minorities—ranging from denial of land for churches to exclusion in education and public service.

He also appealed for global cooperation, including renewed access to military equipment to combat terrorism, and praised the Holy See’s efforts under Pope Leo XIV for promoting “a preferential option for the poor” as the path to renewal for both Church and society.

“With over 200 million believers, Nigeria can make a great contribution to global peace if we rid ourselves of the virus of religious extremism. We should be supported and encouraged in this effort, not punished,” Bishop Kukah said.