*Says both Muslims, Christians are victims of terrorism
*Blames insecurity on poverty, climate change, and crime
By Ojima-Ojo Abubakar
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has dismissed reports of an alleged Christian genocide in Nigeria, describing them as false, divisive, and part of a wider geopolitical conspiracy to destabilise the country.
Speaking after a meeting of the Ulamah Council in Abuja on Sunday, the National Secretary of the NSCIA, Prof Is-haq Oloyede, said both Muslims and Christians were victims of the same failed security system, poverty, and criminality, not of any religious persecution.
He said, “We turn to our genuine Christian brothers and sisters and tell them, you are not our enemies. You are our compatriots, colleagues, and neighbours. We stand with you against all forms of violence and terror.”
According to Oloyede, the narrative of genocide was being pushed by foreign political interests seeking to fragment Nigeria along religious lines.
Oloyede warned that the attempt by some Western powers, particularly the United States, to brand Nigeria’s security crisis as genocide was a geopolitical ploy designed to fragment the nation. He accused certain foreign actors of exploiting Nigeria’s insecurity for “geopolitical profits” while turning a blind eye to atrocities elsewhere, including Gaza.
“If the USA truly loves humanity, it should strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to fight banditry and insurgency, not undermine the country with false narratives,” he said.
The NSCIA maintained that there was no religious war in Nigeria, noting that the constitution guarantees freedom of religion through three co-existing legal systems — common law, sharia, and customary law.
He accused the United States and other Western actors of exploiting the country’s security challenges to advance their own agendas.
“Genuine assistance requires partnership, not unilateral actions which, even if unintentional, could fragment our nation. We will not allow Nigeria to be destabilised by a foreign agenda,” he declared.
The NSCIA maintained that the recent statements by some American political figures linking Nigeria to Christian persecution were “factually baseless and morally reckless.”
It noted that Amnesty International and other credible global bodies had found no evidence of a coordinated campaign to exterminate Christians in the country.
Oloyede said, “What Nigeria faces is a complex tragedy of poverty, climate change, and criminality. Armed groups kill indiscriminately—Muslims and Christians alike. These terrorists are not our representatives; they are our mortal enemies.”
The Council argued that linking the violence in northern Nigeria to religious motives ignored the deeper causes of insecurity, including desertification, economic deprivation, and organised crime in mining and arms trafficking.
The NSCIA also claimed the “genocide” narrative intensified after Nigeria reaffirmed support for the Palestinian cause at the United Nations General Assembly.
It said the misinformation was being driven by far-right and pro-Israeli lobbyists to distract global attention from the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Oloyede cited reports suggesting that the campaign aimed to present Nigeria as a country divided by faith, thereby legitimising external interference.
The NSCIA urged the Federal Government to intensify efforts in protecting all Nigerians regardless of faith and to “destroy the bandits, expose their sponsors, and confront the corruption feeding insecurity.”
The group also called on the international community to resist false narratives and support Nigeria with intelligence sharing, logistics, and human capacity development.
“As people of faith,” Oloyede concluded, “we believe the truth will prevail, and our unity as a nation will endure.”
