Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has rejected claims of a Christian genocide in Nigeria, describing the country’s security crisis as a product of terrorism, criminality, and longstanding instability rather than systemic religious targeting.
Speaking during an interview with Christian Broadcasting Network in Washington, the First Lady addressed concerns over religious killings and Nigeria’s broader security challenges ahead of the 2027 elections.
Responding to assertions that Christians are being systematically targeted, Tinubu said, “I don’t think so,” stressing that the situation is more complex than a single narrative.
“When you have terrorists and people kidnapping for money, and when the world is throwing in a narrative that is Christian genocide, terrorists will have hit on that and begin to attack churches,” she said.
An ordained Pentecostal pastor, Tinubu also disclosed that she has personally faced criticism and threats because of her Christian faith and her marriage to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a Muslim.
“There was a Muslim cleric that said I’m a heathen,” she said, adding, “Most of the people who spoke up for me are from the North.”
Highlighting the complexity of religious relations in Nigeria, she pointed to her nearly four-decade interfaith marriage as evidence of coexistence.
“If I’m going to enjoy my marriage, Jesus has to come in and give me that peace,” she said. “My husband is a good man.”
While dismissing the genocide narrative, the First Lady acknowledged the gravity of Nigeria’s security challenges and welcomed international cooperation in combating terrorism.
“We thank President Trump for what he did for us,” she said, referencing U.S. military action against terrorist groups. “This was the first Christmas that no one was attacked.”
Nigeria has endured years of violence linked to insurgency, banditry and communal clashes, resulting in thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions. The crisis continues to generate global debate over the scale and nature of religious persecution in the country.
