The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has refuted recent allegations by some Western figures claiming that a “Christian genocide” is taking place in the country, describing the assertions as false and misleading.
This followed comments by U.S. talk show host Bill Maher, who alleged that Christians were being systematically exterminated in Nigeria by Islamist extremists.
Maher further claimed that over 100,000 Christians had been killed since 2009 and more than 18,000 churches destroyed, calling it “a genocide attempt greater than what is going on in Gaza.”
Similarly, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz accused Nigerian authorities of ignoring or enabling the mass killing of Christians, saying he had introduced a bill—the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act—to sanction officials allegedly complicit in such acts. U.S. Congressman Riley Moore also reportedly urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” and suspend arms sales over alleged religious persecution.
Reacting to the allegations, the Director of National Issues and Social Welfare at CAN, Abimbola Ayuba, on Tuesday said the pattern of killings across Nigeria does not indicate a religious motive, stressing that both Christians and Muslims have suffered from terrorism and banditry.
“Empirical facts show that while killings have occurred in many parts of Nigeria, they have not followed a religious pattern,” Ayuba said. “In places like Benue, it may appear that Christians are being targeted, but many Muslims have also been killed—even during early morning prayers.”
He described the violence as a national tragedy, not a faith-based conflict, noting that “bullets from terrorists do not look for a Christian or spare a Muslim.”
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Ayuba further warned that some foreign groups were exploiting Nigeria’s insecurity to push divisive narratives. “Sometimes, our situation is used for foreign propaganda. They may have a right to express concern, but we must also tell the truth about what’s happening,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to focus on internal solutions instead of seeking sympathy abroad. “Instead of running to America, we should use our own institutions like the Senate to seek redress. When they place Nigeria on a blacklist, it affects everyone,” he added.
The Presidency had earlier dismissed such claims, insisting that the insecurity in parts of the country stems from terrorism, banditry, and criminality—not religious persecution.