Wike Blames Opposition For ‘Genocide Claims’, Says Allegations Against Tinubu Government Are ‘Politics Taken Too Far’
Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, has lashed out at opposition parties, accusing them of orchestrating the growing claims that Christians are being massacred in Nigeria — branding the allegations as “politics taken too far.”
Speaking during an interview on Monday, Wike dismissed the genocide narrative as a desperate attempt by political rivals to divide the country and undermine President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“It is very obvious,” he said. “Because of the President’s political style, the opposition has collapsed. They know no party can challenge him, so they have resorted to tactics that could tear the nation apart.”
The minister said it was “an indictment” on those making such allegations, questioning why anyone would believe the government he serves in supports the killing of Christians.
“The Inspector General of Police is a Christian, the DSS Director General is a Christian, the Chief of Defence Staff is a Christian,” he pointed out. “Tell me, how can anyone believe that we would sit in a government that supports the killing of our own people?”
Wike condemned the politicisation of the country’s security challenges, saying no Nigerian leader finds joy in the death of citizens, regardless of religion or ethnicity.
His comments came as former US President Donald Trump reignited controversy over the weekend by claiming on his Truth Social platform that he had ordered the Pentagon to draw up plans for possible attacks in Nigeria over alleged “mass killings of Christians.”
Trump warned that if Nigeria failed to stop the violence, the United States would strike back “fast, vicious, and sweet,” claiming Christians were being slaughtered “in very large numbers.”
Asked whether he was concerned about Trump’s threat of military action, Wike declined to give a direct response but suggested the former US leader may have been misinformed.
“There could be some misinformation or distortion,” he said. “It’s unfortunate.”