Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, yesterday, condemned the persistent persecution of Christians in the North, and lamented that perpetrators are allowed to move freely without facing punishment.

Kukah argued that despite the ill-treatment experienced by the church in the North in recent years, not a single individual had been charged to court for those incidents.

The bishop spoke virtually at the Silver Jubilee Anniversary of the Order of the Knights of St Mulumba Nigeria Eko Subordinate Council themed: ‘Christian Martyrdom in Nigeria…a Building Block or Stumbling Block to Salvation or Patriotism,’ held in Lagos.

He also regretted the ethnic colouration that was being given to the Christian faith in Nigeria, advising that such attitude must be jettisoned.

While urging Christians to be steadfast and sacrifice themselves for the growth of Christ’s words, Kukah said: “If you look at our country – Nigeria, the issue is that, in Northern Nigeria, Christians constitute some of the groups that you can kill without consequences. You can ask yourself has anybody ever been charged for burning churches or for destroying Christian properties.

A pastor was slaughtered openly in Adamawa. People, priests were killed in Benue. Priests have been killed in Kaduna.

“It seems as if killing Christians is the only thing the world can do without consequences. That means that if you are serious as Christians, Catholics, what happens to the church in Ikwerre, what happens to the church in Sokoto, what happens to the church in Onitsha, what happens to the church everywhere in this country should affect us. Tragically, you know, Christianity has become largely subordinated to ethnicity.

“Many people today still have a caliphate mentality that those who are not part of us must be against us. And this is the fate of Christians and Christianity in many parts of Northern Nigeria today, where Christianity is being tolerated. Christians are being denied lands to build churches, and it is not seen as a problem. In a place like Kenya, I have a problem of that nature right now as we talk.”

Speaking further, the clergyman said: “We must preach the gospel, welcome or unwelcome. Preaching the gospel has no political and ethnic boundaries. It is not about friendship. If it is about friendship, Jesus would have said to Peter, get behind me. When we are confronted, martyrdom is not just about being killed. Because, of course, in the end, you are killed for speaking the truth. I remember in the days of Abacha, many times people used to say to me, oh Bishop, if you don’t keep quiet, you will be killed for nothing.

“I am saying so because we now need to come to terms with the essence that every day of our lives as Christians, we are challenged to martyrdom. Martyrdom because a sword is dangling before us.

Martyrdom because we have a country, we have a society, we have a world that is so morally broken that every day the whole question of what is right and what is wrong has been circumscribed by the circumstances in which we find ourselves. When martyrdom comes to us, we embrace it, we are not in retreat.

“The challenge, therefore, is for us to come to terms with these realities and how they can be addressed. Here in Sokoto, for example, I have lost a seminarian, I have lost a priest, my priests have been kidnapped, not once, not twice. But my immediate reaction is that in all of this, we are only inspired.

People look at me and they say to me, why are you going back to Sokoto? I remember when Deborah was killed, I was out of Sokoto. People were saying to me, how are you going back to Sokoto? When my seminarian, my priest, was kidnapped and released last month, people asked if I was still going back to Sokoto.”

Worthy Grand Knight of Knights of St Mulumba Eko Sub Council, Sir Tony Nnachetta, in his remarks, said: “Because the Lord says he will always provide, I would like to declare that the Lord has been kind to the House of Council. We are proud brothers and sisters who have come intentionally and sacrificed for the good of the people, our children and grandchildren.” (Saturday Vanguard)

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