The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has denied claims made by some foreign figures about an ongoing “Christian genocide” in the country, calling such reports misleading.
Recently, US comedian and HBO host Bill Maher alleged that Christians in Nigeria were being systematically killed by Islamist groups, claiming that over 100,000 Christians had been killed and 18,000 churches burnt since 2009.
Similarly, US Senator Ted Cruz accused Nigerian officials of “ignoring and even supporting” the mass killing of Christians by jihadists.
Cruz said Nigerian Christians were being targeted for their faith and forced to live under sharia law.
He revealed that he had introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act to the US Senate to impose sanctions on officials allegedly involved in such actions.
In addition, US Congressman Riley Moore urged the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” and suspend arms sales to Nigeria until the government takes stronger action to stop the violence.
However, the Nigerian Presidency has repeatedly rejected these claims, insisting that there is no religious war in the country.
When contacted, CAN’s Director of National Issues and Social Welfare, Abimbola Ayuba, acknowledged that killings were happening across Nigeria but said they were not targeted only at Christians.
He explained, “There are killings across the country, but they don’t follow a specific religious pattern. In places like Benue, it may appear Christians are the main victims, but the same violence has also affected Muslims even those attacked in their mosques during prayers.”
Ayuba added that the crisis had been exploited by people seeking foreign attention or benefits. “Foreign groups may have an interest in our situation, but we must tell the truth as it is. The attacks affect everyone Christians, Muslims, even children. Bullets don’t ask for religion,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to unite against insecurity instead of seeking international sympathy. “We must take collective action to stop insurgency. Running abroad to seek intervention only worsens our situation because when sanctions come, the whole country suffers,” he concluded.
