The Federal Government has dismissed as false and divisive recent allegations circulating on international platforms suggesting that terrorists in Nigeria are carrying out a systematic genocide against Christians.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in a statement on Sunday, described the claims as “false, baseless, despicable, and divisive,” stressing that Nigeria’s security challenges are not religiously motivated.
According to him, “Portraying Nigeria’s security challenges as a targeted campaign against a single religious group is a gross misrepresentation of reality.
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 complex, multifaceted security environment and plays into the hands of terrorists and criminals who seek to divide Nigerians along religious or ethnic lines.”
The Minister explained that terrorist groups operating in Nigeria attack people of all faiths, noting that both Muslims and Christians have suffered casualties.
He said government’s counter-terrorism efforts were yielding results, with over 13,500 terrorists neutralized and nearly 10,000 hostages rescued between May 2023 and February 2025.
He recalled that only last month, security forces captured the top leadership of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU), an Al-Qaeda affiliate in Nigeria.
“These feats underscore the determination and success of our security forces and expose as unfounded the notion that Nigeria is passively tolerating religiously motivated terrorism,” Idris stated.
The Minister added that Nigeria’s multi-religious character remains intact, with the country hosting some of the world’s largest Muslim and Christian congregations.
“Christianity is neither endangered nor marginalized in Nigeria,” he said. “It is doubtful that foreign interlopers into Nigerian affairs are aware that the current heads of both the Armed Forces and the Police Force are Christians—a fact that underscores the inclusivity of our national leadership.”
Idris further pointed out that Nigeria has secured over 700 convictions of Boko Haram suspects and is currently in its eighth prosecution cycle.
He stressed that accountability within the armed forces remains a priority, with court martials and prosecutions ongoing for erring officers.
Highlighting Nigeria’s global recognition for peacebuilding, the Minister recalled that in March, the inaugural Commonwealth Peace Prize was awarded to two Nigerian clerics, Rev. Dr. James Movel Wuye and Imam Dr. Muhammad Nurayn Ashafa, co-founders of the Interfaith Mediation Centre.
“The Nigerian story is not one of religious genocide or persecution,” Idris emphasized. “Rather, it is a story of resilience, diversity, and a globally acknowledged commitment to peaceful coexistence.”
He urged the international media and commentators to “act with responsibility, have respect for facts, and avoid ignorance, sensationalism, and divisive rhetoric.”
Bello Wakili
