Urge FG to Stop Living in Denial, Call on Churches to Speak Out
By Bomba Dauda
The Southern Kaduna Christian Leaders Association (SKCLA) has described the designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) by U.S. President Donald J. Trump as a “welcome development and a long-overdue moment of truth.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, and signed by its Chairman, Apostle Dr. Emmanuel Nuhu Kure, the association said the move reflects long-standing realities of religious persecution that Nigerian authorities have continued to deny.
“At last, someone, somewhere, has taken notice of the plight of Christians in Northern Nigeria — a plight our own government has consistently failed to acknowledge, let alone address,” the statement read in part.
The SKCLA lamented that Christians in the North have long been abandoned by the state, while successive administrations and political leaders — both Muslim and Christian — have merely paid lip service to peace, justice, and unity.
According to the group, the systemic marginalisation of northern minority Christians includes land dispossession, distorted historical narratives, weakened traditional institutions, and denial of fair political representation.
In the statement titled “Trump’s Designation of Nigeria as a Country of Concern: A Welcome Call to Conscience,” the leaders cited discrimination in northern institutions, including universities such as Bayero and Sokoto, where churches are reportedly denied approval for construction while mosques are freely built.
“This is not the case in the South. It raises the question: do we have separate governments for the North and South? What tradition or law allows one section of a nation to subjugate the other in this modern age?” the group queried.
The SKCLA further accused some northern leaders of sponsoring or protecting extremist elements, citing instances of forced marriages, targeted killings, and denial of opportunities as evidence of a sustained campaign against Christian communities.
“The Federal Government must stop denying these realities,” the statement continued. “It should establish a credible, independent inquiry led by courageous and impartial Nigerians to investigate these allegations.”
Citing the killings in Benue and Plateau states, as well as the frequent attacks on pastors in Southern Kaduna, the association said these incidents reveal a “scorched-earth campaign” against Christian populations rather than ordinary criminality.
The group also urged Nigerian churches to rise above silence and call on the government to ensure equal rights for all religions.
“The church is not speaking enough, and the government is not being properly advised despite the number of Christians in positions of power,” Apostle Kure noted.
