The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, has come under fire for appealing against Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over alleged violations of Christian religious freedom.
Civil rights activist, Dr. Thompson Udenwa, in a statement issued in Abuja, faulted what he described as Bishop Kukah’s “sudden change of tone,” recalling that the cleric was once among the strongest advocates pushing for the United States to classify Nigeria under the CPC list due to attacks on Christian communities, church burnings, and targeted killings across the North and Middle Belt.
Udenwa questioned why Bishop Kukah—who in 2021 addressed the U.S. Congress condemning the Buhari administration’s handling of Christian persecution—would now oppose the same designation he once described as “moral justice.”
According to him, the bishop’s new stance “undermines the credibility of religious advocacy and suggests possible personal or political influences.”
“While I do not wish to be drawn into the political undercurrents of this issue, Bishop Kukah’s latest remarks are concerning,” Udenwa said. “He was once a loud voice calling for international recognition of Christian persecution in Nigeria. Now, he appears to have backtracked from that conviction.”
His comments came in response to Bishop Kukah’s remarks at the launch of the Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) 2025 World Report on Religious Freedom, held on October 21 at the Augustinianum Hall in Vatican City. During the event, Bishop Kukah acknowledged Nigeria’s ongoing security and governance challenges but urged the international community not to impose punitive measures such as sanctions or diplomatic isolation.
“Designating Nigeria as a Country of Concern will only make our work in promoting dialogue among religious leaders and engagement with the Nigerian state more difficult,” Bishop Kukah said. “It will heighten tensions, breed suspicion and fear, and give room for criminals to exploit divisions.”
While commending the bishop’s commitment to dialogue, Udenwa warned that his position could embolden the Nigerian government to evade accountability for unaddressed attacks on communities of all faiths.
“By this reversal, Bishop Kukah has shown why religious leaders must remain consistent and selfless in their advocacy,” Udenwa added. “Truth should not shift based on who is in power or what political relationships exist.”
He further cited former presidential spokesman Garba Shehu’s book, According to the President – Lessons from a Presidential Spokesman’s Experience (pages 150–155), which allegedly detailed Bishop Kukah’s earlier role in influencing U.S. decisions that strained Nigeria’s international image.
However, Udenwa noted that Kukah’s recent position might serve as an effort to repair the diplomatic fallout from his past advocacy.
“It is perhaps fitting,” he concluded, “that the same hand which contributed to the earlier narrative abroad is now seeking to correct it.”
