“Don’t designate Nigeria as a country of concern” — Bishop Kukah tells U.S

Says It Would Undermine Interfaith Progress

Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, has urged the United States not to re-designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over religious freedom violations, warning that such a move would disrupt the fragile progress being made in interfaith dialogue and national healing under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Speaking at the launch of the Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) 2025 World Report on Religious Freedom at the Augustinianum Hall in Vatican City, Bishop Kukah acknowledged Nigeria’s deep-rooted religious and security challenges, but insisted that “re-designation will hurt more than help.”

“It will increase tensions, sow doubt, open windows of suspicion and fear, and simply allow the criminals and perpetrators of violence to exploit,” Kukah said. “What Nigeria needs now is vigilance and partnership, not punishment.”

‘Nigeria Has Sinned, But There Is Hope’

The ACN report, which revealed that over 5.4 billion people globally live in countries with restricted religious freedom, cited Nigeria as one of the worst-affected nations, particularly for religious minorities.

Kukah admitted that Nigeria had fallen short, particularly under former President Muhammadu Buhari, whom he blamed for deepening religious division through exclusionary policies that favored northern Muslims and created fertile ground for jihadist groups.

“The Buhari administration marked the worst phase in the history of interfaith relations in Nigeria,” he said. “It gave oxygen to jihadists through policies that overtly favoured Islam and northern Nigeria.”

Despite ongoing challenges, Kukah said the current Tinubu administration has shown early signs of inclusiveness and a willingness to listen. He highlighted several appointments of Christians to strategic national positions as “confidence-building measures” and praised the President for personally visiting victims of recent attacks in Benue State — a marked contrast to Buhari’s perceived silence in the face of religious violence.

Religious Tensions Are Real, But Not State-Sponsored

While acknowledging that Christians in northern Nigeria continue to face discrimination — such as denial of land for churches and lack of access to religious education — Kukah stressed that the country’s conflict cannot be simplistically categorized as government-backed religious persecution.

“I live in Sokoto, in the womb of Islam, and I move freely in my regalia,” he said. “The Sultan of Sokoto himself attends our events and supports our work. That’s not the profile of a country with state-sponsored persecution.”

He said extremist groups have targeted both Christians and Muslims who reject their ideology, describing Nigeria as a “tragic killing field” driven by a mix of weak governance, poverty, terrorism, and ethnic conflict.

A Plea Against U.S. Lawmakers’ Push for CPC Status

Bishop Kukah’s comments come amid renewed pressure from U.S. lawmakers, particularly Senator Ted Cruz, to have Nigeria re-listed as a Country of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act.

Cruz has proposed the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025, which seeks to impose sanctions on Nigerian officials accused of tolerating or enabling religious persecution.

Nigeria was first designated a CPC in 2020 by the Trump administration but removed from the list in 2021 by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Kukah, who previously supported the designation under Buhari, now believes it would be counterproductive.

“I believe that today, acts of impunity still persist,” he said. “But re-designating Nigeria a Country of Concern will only make our work in dialogue and reconciliation harder. We should be supported, not punished.”

Call for Constitutional Reform and Ending Sharia Implementation

In a bold recommendation, Bishop Kukah called on President Tinubu to challenge the constitutionality of Sharia law in Nigeria’s 12 northern states, calling it a dangerous precedent that fuels mob justice and undermines the secular nature of the Nigerian Constitution.

“The President should go to court to have the adoption of Sharia law declared unconstitutional,” he said. “This is the only way to restore confidence in Nigeria’s secular state.”

He also criticized years of impunity where state authorities looked away while churches were destroyed and Christians killed, citing the deaths of Deborah Samuel (Sokoto) and Bridget Agbahime (Kano) as examples of mob justice gone unchecked.

Obama’s Mistake, Trump’s Opportunity

Bishop Kukah blamed the Obama administration for halting Nigeria’s access to military weapons during the fight against Boko Haram under President Goodluck Jonathan, a move he said emboldened terrorists and set back the counterinsurgency effort.

“I appeal to President Donald Trump, who is already working for peace in the Middle East, to lift restrictions and help Nigeria access the tools it needs to defeat terror,” he added.

Conclusion: ‘Let Nigeria Be Judged by Its Willingness to Heal’

Closing his address, Kukah appealed to the international community for constructive engagement rather than punitive measures, calling for solidarity with Nigerians striving to rebuild trust and peace.

“Let Nigeria be judged not only by its wounds but by its willingness to heal,” Kukah said. “Despite our challenges, Nigeria can still make a great contribution to world peace — if we rid our country of religious extremism.”

He said now is the time for Nigeria to return to the spirit of unity embodied in its national anthem: “To build a nation where no one is oppressed.”