CAN dismisses Christian genocide claims, says terrorist attacks have no religious pattern
By: Zagazola Makama
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has dismissed recent claims by some foreign commentators alleging an ongoing “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, describing the assertions as misleading and not supported by facts on the ground.
The association’s reaction follows remarks by U.S. comedian and talk show host Bill Maher, who alleged that Christians were being systematically exterminated in Nigeria by Islamist extremists.
Maher claimed that over 100,000 Christians had been killed since 2009 and that more than 18,000 churches had been burnt in what he described as “a genocide attempt greater than what is going on in Gaza.”
Similarly, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz accused Nigerian officials of “ignoring and even facilitating” the mass killing of Christians by jihadist groups. Cruz said he had introduced a bill, the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act, to the U.S. Senate to sanction Nigerian officials allegedly complicit in such acts.
Also, Riley Moore, a U.S. Congressman from West Virginia, reportedly urged the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” and suspend arms sales to the country over alleged persecution of Christians.
Reacting to the allegations, the Director of National Issues and Social Welfare of CAN, Abimbola Ayuba, said the pattern of killings across Nigeria does not suggest a religious motive, as both Christians and Muslims have been victims of terrorism and banditry.
Ayuba said, “Empirical facts exist all over showing the spate of killings in Nigeria, but the pattern has not been religious. In some areas like Benue, it may appear as if Christians are being targeted, but the same insurgency has claimed several Muslims some even during early morning prayers.”
He described the situation as a national tragedy rather than a religious conflict, stressing that bullets from terrorists do not “look for a Christian or spare a Muslim.”
According to him, “Sometimes, our situation is being exploited by groups with foreign interests. They benefit from spreading misinformation abroad. Those foreign interests may have a right to express concern, but we must also report things as they truly are.”
Ayuba urged Nigerians to adopt an all-of-society approach to end insurgency rather than seeking external sympathy.
“Instead of running to America, why not use our own institutions like the Senate to seek redress? When they place Nigeria on a blacklist, all of us will suffer. But those who go abroad to look for sympathy know why they do that,” he said.
The Presidency had earlier dismissed similar claims of a religious genocide, reiterating that the ongoing insecurity in parts of the country is driven by terrorism, banditry, and criminality rather than faith-based conflict.
