Kukah faces criticism over shift in stance on religious persecution

Kukah faces criticism over shift in stance on religious persecution

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, has come under criticism for what some describe as a change in his position on the issue of religious persecution in Nigeria.

Civil rights activist, Dr. Thompson Udenwa, in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, faulted Bishop Kukah’s recent comments, saying they appeared to contrast with his previous advocacy for stronger international measures against Nigeria over alleged religious intolerance and attacks on Christian communities.

Dr. Udenwa recalled that Bishop Kukah had previously urged the United States Government to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) following reports of church burnings and targeted violence against Christians in parts of the North and Middle Belt.