Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah Archives

Genocide: “No Christian persecution in Nigeria”– Bishop Kukah

November 30, 2025November 30, 2025 Aminu Imam

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese and Convener of the National Peace Committee, Most Rev. Matthew Kukah, has insisted that there is no persecution of Christians in Nigeria, stressing that genocide is determined not by the number of casualties but by intent. Bishop Kukah recently came under criticism after being quoted as urging the international community not to designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern”, arguing that such a label would heighten tensions, breed suspicion, and allow criminals to exploit the situation – ultimately undermining interfaith dialogue and cooperation…

“North’ll be better-off under a President who isn’t a Muslim from region” – Bishop Kukah

October 20, 2025October 20, 2025 Aminu Imam

Catholic Bishop in Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, has stated that northern Nigeria would likely make more progress under a president who is not a Muslim from the region. In a published interview at the weekend, Kukah said he has always shared this view with his friends in the North because history shows that the region has not benefited much from having many of its own people in power. According to him, Northern leaders have governed Nigeria for the longest period since Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa’s time as Prime Minister, yet the…

New Year: “Legitimacy of your Gov�t depends on ending mindless killings” – Kukah to Tinubu

January 1, 2024January 1, 2024 Aminu Imam

Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Mathew Hassan Kukah has told President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that the legitimacy of his government hangs on ending mindless killings in the country. In his New Year message, titled: �Blood and Crucifixion On The Plateau,� the Bishop stated that, �Tinubu must know that the legitimacy of his government hangs on resolving this and giving us our country back�. He further said, �We are tired of the confusing, inexcusable monosyllabic excuses saying, this is an asymmetrical war, we are on top of the situation, you cannot kill…

“Politicians responsible for our disunity, mutual hatred”�- Kukah

December 28, 2022December 28, 2022 Aminu Imam

Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, of the Catholic Sokoto Diocese, in his recent paper at the conference on Harnessing Nigeria�s Religious Diversity for Sustainable Peace and National Development, in Kano recently, accused politicians of being responsible for the disunity and mutual hatred among Nigerians. The Bishop listed ways of stopping mutual hatred in Nigeria. First, according to him, “If we say that there are problems between Christians and Muslims, what exactly are the problems, and how are we going to resolve them? Will these problems be resolved by Christians converting to…

“No rift between Christians, Muslims; irresponsible leaders are the problem” – Kukah

September 6, 2022September 6, 2022 Aminu Imam

Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan Kukah, says there is no problem between Muslims and Christians in Nigeria. Speaking during a television programme yesterday, Kukah asserted that there is no problem between Muslims and Christians in Nigeria, saying irresponsible leaders have turned religion into a tool for oppression. According to the cleric, �There is no problem between Christians and Muslims. The problem is between irresponsible leaders who don�t want to govern properly; irresponsible Christian religious leaders who have now seen religion as a tool of oppression instead…

‘Nigeria ruled by people who lack passion, commitment’ � Kukah

September 3, 2022September 3, 2022 Aminu Imam

Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Father Matthew Hassan Kukah, yesterday, cited the poor governance in the country as his only challenge. Kukah, who celebrated his 70th birth anniversary on Wednesday, spoke when he was featured on a television programme. According to him, Nigerians are governed by some personalities who have no passion or interest in moving the country forward. He said, �I would have said I have no regret; but the only regret I have outside and inside this country is to see how a nation with such…

Sokoto: “My residence not burnt”, Kukah debunks fake news

May 15, 2022May 15, 2022 Aminu Imam

Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Father Matthew Kukah, has debunked the viral posts on social media that his residence has been set on fire in Sokoto. There has been tension in the State since the killing of Deborah Samuel, a 200-level student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, over alleged blasphemy. A Facebook page of the Catholic Broadcast Commission, Nigeria, with over 90,000 followers, made a post earlier in the day that Kukah�s house has been set ablaze by the rioters. The post read: �Carnage in Sokoto today: Aftermath…

“My criticism of Buhari not personal; even his wife confirms it” – Kukah replies Presidency

April 20, 2022April 20, 2022 Aminu Imam

Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, says his criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari�s administration is not a personal attack on the country�s leader. Kukah, who made this known in an interview on a television programme yesterday, while echoing his points, said that he had nothing personal against the President but his policies which according to him, even the President’s wife, A’isha Buhari, also disagrees with. Recall that the cleric has been in the news over his Easter sermon, in which he said the Buhari administration is in hibernation…

Easter: ‘Buhari sowed discord among Nigerians, caused ethnic, religious crisis’ � Bishop Kukah

April 18, 2022April 18, 2022 Aminu Imam

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, says President Muhammadu Buhari has reversed the gains made by his predecessor in ensuring Nigerians are united and living peacefully with their neighbours. The cleric said Buhari has entrenched disunity and nepotism through his clannish and divisive disposition, noting that people of different ethnicity who hitherto lived in harmony are now enmeshed in conflict over differences that could have been otherwise resolved. Kukah passed the verdict on President Buhari in his Easter message, yesterday. He averred that Buhari�s preferential treatment for…

Insecurity: ‘Nigerians abandoned to fate � Kukah

April 14, 2022April 14, 2022 Aminu Imam

Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, has expressed concern over what he described as the abandonment of Nigerians to their fate in the face of terrifying insecurity in the country. The Bishop said Nigerians are like orphans in the face of this difficult situation, with nobody to console them. Speaking to newsmen shortly after Mass at the Holy Family Catholic Cathedral in Sokoto, the Bishop said Nigeria is in a war situation, even though the authorities are not willing to admit that. He also expressed his worry about…