CAN Accuses Presidency of Twisting Facts, Insists Christian Killings Are Genocide — Kukah Cautions Global Community

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has accused the Presidency of misrepresenting its stance on the persistent killings of Christians across the country, insisting that the ongoing violence in parts of northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt amounts to a “Christian genocide.”

In a statement signed by Archbishop Daniel Okoh, CAN President, the association said at no point did it dismiss the killings as a “so-called Christian genocide,” contrary to claims reportedly made by Barrister Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy Communication, in a statement titled “Presidency Debunks Western Christian Genocide Narrative in Dialogue with CAN Leadership.”

According to Archbishop Okoh, the alleged portrayal was “completely false and grossly unfair.”

“Referring to the tragedy as a ‘so-called genocide’ trivialises the pain of countless Christians who have lost loved ones, homes, and places of worship in targeted attacks,” he said.

CAN clarified that the controversy followed Bwala’s visit to its National Secretariat in Abuja on Monday, where he sought clarification on CAN’s response to U.S. Senator Ted Cruz’s recent remarks describing the killings as a “Christian genocide.”

“CAN made it clear that its position has long been established and remains unchanged,” Okoh stated. “Across many parts of northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt, Christian communities have suffered repeated, organised, and brutal attacks that have left thousands dead, villages destroyed, and families displaced. These are not isolated crimes but a continuing pattern of violence that has persisted for years without justice or closure.”

The CAN President said the meeting was recorded by its media team, adding that at no time did he use or endorse the phrase “so-called Christian genocide.”

During the same session, Bishop Mike Akpami, CAN’s Director of Planning, Research, and Strategy, presented verified data from www.orfa.africa, showing consistent and targeted assaults on Christians across Africa, particularly in Nigeria.

“We call on the federal government and security agencies to act with urgency, fairness, and transparency to halt these killings and bring all perpetrators to justice,” Archbishop Okoh added.
“We also urge media professionals and government officials to speak with truth, empathy, and responsibility, as careless words can deepen wounds and undermine peace.”

CAN reaffirmed its commitment to peacebuilding and interfaith dialogue, emphasizing that such efforts must never come at the cost of truth and justice.

Those present at the meeting included Archbishop Daniel Okoh, Rev. Stephen Panya Baba, Apostle Samson Fatokun, Rev. Emmanuel Nicodemus Ozumba, and Dame Comfort Otera Chigbue (Esq), among others.

Kukah Warns Against Re-Designating Nigeria as ‘Country of Concern’

Meanwhile, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, has urged the international community not to re-designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) over alleged religious persecution, warning that such a move could undermine ongoing peace and interfaith efforts.

Speaking at the launch of the Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) 2025 World Report on Religious Freedom in Vatican City, Bishop Kukah acknowledged Nigeria’s deep security and religious challenges but argued that the country needed support, not isolation.

“We are not dealing with people going around wielding machetes to kill me because I am a Christian,” he said. “I live and work in Sokoto, right in the womb of Islam, where collaboration between Christians and Muslims remains possible. Our lives should be defined by a better narrative.”

The cleric, however, admitted that the government’s failure to contain violence had created conditions for genocidal attacks in some communities.

“Nigerians are dying unacceptable deaths across the country, not only because of their religion but also their ethnicity,” Kukah lamented. “We are in the cusp of a weak state with a clear lack of capacity to arrest the descent into anarchy.”

He described the Buhari administration as “the worst phase in interfaith relations,” accusing it of alienating Christians and empowering extremists.

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

In contrast, Kukah praised President Bola Tinubu’s administration for taking inclusive steps to balance religious representation in government.

“The President and Vice President are Muslims, yet Christians have not felt alienated. The Chief of Defence Staff, the Director of DSS, and the INEC Chairman are Christians. These are confidence-building measures,” he noted.

Citing the Global Terrorism Index Report 2025, Kukah said terrorist attacks in Nigeria fell by 37 percent in 2024, but religious identity still influenced patterns of violence. He called on the federal government to enforce constitutional secularism, particularly by challenging the application of Sharia law in 12 northern states.

“The President should go to court to have the adoption of Sharia law declared unconstitutional. The secular state anticipated by the Constitution must be enforced,” he said.

Kukah concluded by urging the Vatican and global powers to support Nigeria’s peace process rather than penalize it.

“What Nigeria needs now is vigilance, cooperation, and pressure for reform — not isolation,” he said. “Nigeria can make a great contribution to world peace if we rid our country of religious extremism.”

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