The Nigerian government has dismissed allegations by some international platforms and online commentators that terrorists in Nigeria are carrying out a systematic genocide against Christians, describing the claims as false and divisive.
In a statement on Sunday, September 28, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said such assertions were “baseless, despicable and harmful to Nigeria’s peace.”
“The Nigerian government strongly condemns and categorically refutes recent allegations suggesting that terrorists in Nigeria are engaged in a systematic genocide against Christians. Such claims are false and a gross misrepresentation of reality,” Idris said.
He stressed that Nigeria’s security challenges must not be mischaracterised as religiously motivated, noting that terrorists target Nigerians of all faiths.
“These criminals attack anyone who rejects their murderous ideology, regardless of religion. Muslims, Christians, and even those who do not identify with any faith have all suffered at their hands,” he explained.
The minister highlighted that between May 2023 and February 2025, security forces neutralised 13,543 terrorists and criminals and rescued nearly 10,000 hostages.
He also cited the recent capture of the leadership of Ansaru, a local al-Qaeda affiliate, and the successful prosecution of over 700 Boko Haram suspects.
Idris dismissed the genocide narrative as a distortion of Nigeria’s multi-religious reality, pointing out that the heads of both the Armed Forces and the Police Force are Christians — evidence, he said, of the government’s commitment to inclusivity.
He also referenced international recognition of Nigeria’s interfaith cooperation, including the Commonwealth Peace Prize awarded in March to two Nigerian religious leaders for their mediation efforts.
Urging international commentators to act responsibly, Idris called for support for Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts rather than the spread of “ignorance, sensationalism, and divisive rhetoric.”
