FG has denied the viral claims of genocide against christians in Nigeria.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Federal Government of Nigeria has dismissed as false and divisive allegations suggesting that terrorists in the country are carrying out a systematic genocide against Christians.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris Malagi, described the claims as “baseless, despicable, and a gross misrepresentation of Nigeria’s security reality.”
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The Minister stressed that terrorism in Nigeria is not targeted at any particular religion, noting that both Muslims and Christians as well as those with no religious affiliation have suffered attacks at the hands of violent groups.
“The violent activities of terrorist groups are not confined to any particular religious or ethnic community. These criminals target all who reject their murderous ideology, regardless of faith,” the statement read.
Malagi warned that framing Nigeria’s security crisis as a religious war plays into the hands of terrorists who seek to divide citizens along religious or ethnic lines.
The Minister highlighted recent military successes, including the neutralization of 13,543 terrorists and criminals and the rescue of nearly 10,000 hostages between May 2023 and February 2025. He also confirmed the capture of top leaders of ANSARU, Nigeria’s Al-Qaeda affiliate, in a coordinated operation last month.
He further emphasized that Nigeria is committed to accountability, citing ongoing court martials and prosecutions of erring security personnel, as well as the successful prosecution of over 700 Boko Haram suspects.
Malagi also underscored Nigeria’s religious diversity, noting that the country hosts some of the world’s largest Muslim and Christian congregations, and that Christians currently lead both the Armed Forces and the Police Force.
Rejecting the notion of religious persecution, the Minister pointed to the recognition of Nigeria’s interfaith peace efforts on the global stage, including the Commonwealth Peace Prize awarded earlier this year to two Nigerian clerics for their decades-long work in promoting interfaith harmony.
He urged international commentators and media outlets to refrain from spreading divisive narratives, adding:
“Nigeria’s story is not one of religious genocide but of resilience, diversity, and commitment to peaceful coexistence.”
