FG denies claims of genocide against christians
The Federal Government has rejected allegations that Christians are being systematically killed in Nigeria, describing the claims as “ignorant, false and baseless.”
The denial followed comments by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, who accused the Nigerian government of enabling a “massacre” against Christians and announced a bill — the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act — seeking sanctions on officials allegedly complicit in such acts.
In a statement Wednesday, Minister of Information Mohammed Idris dismissed the senator’s assertions, saying they were not supported by any credible data.
“This is not true. It’s false to say over 20,000 churches have been burned or that 52,000 Christians have been killed. Where did he get those numbers? It’s absolutely absurd,” Idris said.
He stressed that no Nigerian official or institution supports or collaborates with violent extremists targeting any religious group.
“No Nigerian official will deliberately side with extremists to target any religion. Nigeria is a multi-faith, tolerant country committed to religious freedom,” he added.
The minister acknowledged that violent extremism affects both Christians and Muslims across the country but denied that the attacks amount to a deliberate campaign against any faith group.
“It’s unfortunate that extremists have killed both Christians and Muslims. But it’s false to claim there is a calculated attempt to eliminate any particular religion,” he said.
Idris reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting all citizens, assuring Nigerians and the international community that security forces will continue combating terrorism and banditry “without discrimination.”