The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has pushed back against recent reports that label the country’s violence as a “Christian genocide,” calling the claims false, politically driven and dangerous.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, NSCIA Secretary-General Prof. Is-haq Oloyede said the unrest in some regions is rooted in criminality, poverty and climate-related displacement not organised religious persecution. He warned that certain foreign media outlets, political actors and separatist groups are amplifying and sometimes fabricating evidence to score geopolitical points.
“We affirm that in Nigeria, there is no Christian terrorism. There is no Muslim terrorism,” Oloyede said, arguing the real problems are long-standing governance failures, poverty and armed criminals who exploit social divisions. He accused some local separatists and foreign lobbyists of pushing doctored statistics and videos to influence Western governments.
Oloyede also criticised what he described as politically motivated designations by foreign governments, saying the U.S. label of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” was being used as a political tool rather than reflecting realities on the ground. He urged both domestic and international actors to reject what he called a destabilising narrative and appealed for cooperation not recrimination in tackling insecurity.
The statement comes after former U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social last week warning of possible U.S. action if attacks on Christians continue. In the post, Trump said U.S. aid could be cut and threatened military intervention to target “Islamic terrorists” he blamed for the killings.
Oloyede closed by calling for unity between Muslims and Christians in confronting criminals who, he said, “kill indiscriminately and exploit our divisions.”
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