The Vatican has finally spoken out on the growing international narrative of an alleged genocide against Christians in Nigeria.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, addressed the issue while presenting a new global report on religious freedom by the Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) in Rome.
His comments come amid heated global debates following remarks made by Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, at the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that Shettima’s call for peace in Gaza sparked a wave of reactions online, with some Western voices, including American security contractor Eric Prince, alleging that Christians in Nigeria were facing genocide.
Prince had even called on “the Vatican, the Pope, President Donald Trump, and Christian leaders worldwide to ‘fund and support’ a private Christian army to ‘protect the Christian community in Nigeria.’”
However, Parolin dismissed such claims, urging caution in labeling Nigeria’s security crisis as religious genocide.
According to him, the violence in Nigeria is not exclusively targeted at Christians but has broader social and ethnic roots.
“It is not a religious conflict. Much of the violence stems from social causes such as land disputes between herders and farmers in the North-Central region,” he said.
“We should also recognise that many Muslims in Nigeria are themselves victims of this same intolerance. These are extremist groups that make no distinctions in pursuing their goals. They use violence against anyone they see as an opponent.”
Also speaking at the Vatican event, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto Diocese advised the international community against designating Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC).
He warned that such a move could harm the fragile progress being made in interfaith dialogue and peace-building.
Bishop Kukah, who presented the Nigerian perspective at the launch of the ACN 2025 World Report on Religious Freedom, acknowledged the country’s deep-seated issues but insisted that Nigeria should be supported rather than sanctioned.
“We are not dealing with people going around wielding machetes to kill me because I am a Christian. 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,” Kukah said.
He, however, admitted that Nigeria’s security collapse has created what he described as conditions for “genocide” in certain communities.
According to him, poor governance, weak institutions, and the inability of both federal and state authorities to secure lives have worsened the situation.
“Nigerians are dying unacceptable deaths across the country — not only because of their religion but also their ethnicity. We are in the cusp of a weak state with a clear lack of capacity to arrest the descent into anarchy,” he stated.
Kukah also reflected on the Buhari administration, describing it as “the worst phase in interfaith relations.” He accused the former president of promoting a system that “alienated Christians and emboldened jihadists.”
“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 commended President Bola Tinubu’s government for showing inclusiveness and balance through key appointments that reflect religious diversity.
“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 aimed at restoring trust among Nigerians,” he noted.
The Catholic cleric cited the 2025 Global Terrorism Index, which recorded a 37 percent drop in terrorist attacks last year, though he warned that religious identity still plays a key role in targeted violence, especially in the northern part of the country.
He further urged the government to enforce full constitutional compliance and address the application of Sharia law in some northern states, which, according to him, fuels discrimination and mob justice.
“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,” Kukah said.
The ACN 2025 World Report on Religious Freedom highlighted a worrying global trend, showing that more than 5.4 billion people now live in countries where religious rights are restricted.
Recall that the issue of Christian genocide became a major topic of concern recently when U.S. Senator Ted Cruz raised alarm over what he described as “systematic attacks” on Christians in Nigeria, a development that stirred wide reactions.
By Mfonobong Daniel
