FG denies claims of systematic genocide against Christians in Nigeria

The Federal Government has refuted allegations by some international platforms and online commentators that terrorists in Nigeria are carrying out a systematic genocide against Christians, describing such claims as false, baseless, despicable, and divisive.

In a press statement issued on Sunday, September, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said attempts to portray Nigeria’s security challenges as a targeted campaign against one religious group misrepresent the country’s complex realities and play into the hands of terrorists.

“While Nigeria, like many countries, has faced security challenges, couching the situation as a deliberate, systematic attack on Christians is inaccurate and harmful. It oversimplifies a multifaceted security environment and aids terrorists who seek to divide Nigerians along religious or ethnic lines,” Idris said.

The government stressed that victims of terrorist violence cut across all faiths, noting that Muslims, Christians, and those with no religious affiliation have been targeted by extremist groups.

According to official figures, between May 2023 and February 2025, security forces neutralised over 13,543 terrorists and criminals, while nearly 10,000 hostages were rescued in multiple operations.

The minister further revealed that only last month, the top leadership of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU), an Al-Qaeda affiliate in Nigeria, was captured in a major counter-terrorism operation.

Those arrested include the group’s self-styled Emir, Mahmud Muhammad Usman, also known as Abu Bara’a, and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri, also called Mallam Mamuda. “These feats expose as unfounded the notion that Nigeria is passively tolerating religiously motivated terrorism,” Idris noted.

The statement also highlighted accountability measures within the Armed Forces and Police, including court martials and prosecutions to address misconduct, underscoring the government’s emphasis on discipline and adherence to the rule of law.

Reaffirming Nigeria’s identity as a multi-religious state, the government pointed out that the country is home to some of the world’s largest Muslim and Christian communities.

It emphasised that Christianity is neither marginalised nor endangered in Nigeria, stressing that the heads of both the Armed Forces and the Police Force are Christians, which reflects inclusivity in leadership.

On the legal front, Idris disclosed that Nigeria has successfully prosecuted seven batches of Boko Haram suspects, securing over 700 convictions, with the eighth cycle of trials underway.

He added that under President Bola Tinubu, the government remains committed to justice and security. “We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that those who threaten our nation’s peace and stability are brought to justice,” he said.

Highlighting Nigeria’s global recognition for interfaith harmony, Idris recalled that in March 2025, the inaugural Commonwealth Peace Prize was awarded to two Nigerian religious leaders, Rev. Dr James Movel Wuye and Imam Dr Muhammad Nurayn Ashafa, for their decades-long work in fostering interfaith dialogue.

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