The Federal Government has rejected allegations circulating on international platforms that Nigeria is experiencing an organised ethno-religious genocide against Christians, insisting such claims misrepresent the nation’s security challenges.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed, in a statement on Monday, described the reports as “patently false, baseless, despicable, and divisive.” He stressed that portraying terrorism in Nigeria as a targeted war against a single religious group is both misleading and dangerous.
“While Nigeria, like many countries, has faced security challenges, including acts of terrorism perpetrated by criminals, couching the situation as a deliberate, systematic attack on Christians is inaccurate and harmful,” Idris said. “It over-simplifies a complex, multifaceted security environment and plays into the hands of terrorists and criminals who seek to divide Nigerians along religious or ethnic lines.”
He noted that terrorist groups attack indiscriminately, targeting Muslims, Christians, and even those without religious affiliation. According to him, government counter-terrorism operations between May 2023 and February 2025 neutralised more than 13,543 terrorists and criminals, while nearly 10,000 hostages were rescued.
Idris pointed to the recent capture of the top leadership of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU), an Al-Qaeda affiliate, as evidence of progress. “These feats by the security forces underscore their determination and success and expose as unfounded the notion that Nigeria is passively tolerating religiously motivated terrorism,” he stated.
The minister reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to protecting all citizens irrespective of faith or ethnicity. He also highlighted ongoing efforts to maintain accountability within security agencies through court martials and prosecutions.
“Nigeria is a multi-religious state with large populations of both Christians and Muslims. Christianity is neither endangered nor marginalised in Nigeria,” he said, noting that the current heads of both the Armed Forces and the Police are Christians.
He further emphasised that Nigeria has successfully prosecuted seven batches of Boko Haram suspects, securing over 700 convictions, with the eighth cycle underway. “Under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, our administration remains steadfast in its commitment to upholding justice and enhancing security,” Idris added.
Underscoring Nigeria’s record in interfaith harmony, Idris cited the March 2025 Commonwealth Peace Prize awarded to Rev. Dr. James Movel Wuye and Imam Muhammad Ashafa, co-founders of the Interfaith Mediation Centre. “This means that Nigeria is not only exporting culture and music to the world—we are also exporting proven frameworks for interfaith harmony,” he concluded.
