The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has dismissed claims by some foreign commentators alleging an ongoing “Christian genocide” in the country, describing such assertions as false and misleading.
The response follows comments by U.S. talk show host Bill Maher, who alleged that Christians were being systematically killed in Nigeria by Islamist extremists.
According to Maher, over 100,000 Christians had been killed since 2009 and more than 18,000 churches burnt.
Similarly, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz accused Nigerian authorities of ignoring or supporting the killing of Christians by jihadist groups, saying he had introduced a bill to sanction Nigerian officials allegedly complicit in such acts.
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Also, U.S. Congressman Riley Moore reportedly urged the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” and suspend arms sales over alleged persecution of Christians.
The Director of National Issues and Social Welfare at CAN, Abimbola Ayuba, reacting to the caims, said the pattern of killings across Nigeria does not show a religious motive, noting that both Christians and Muslims have been victims of terrorism and banditry.
“Empirical facts exist all over showing the spate of killings in Nigeria, but the pattern has not been religious. In some areas like Benue, it may appear Christians are being targeted, but the same insurgency has claimed several Muslims, some even during early morning prayers,” Ayuba said.
Ayuba described the violence as a national tragedy, addingthat terrorist bullets “do not look for a Christian or spare a Muslim.”
CAN warned against the exploitation of Nigeria’s insecurity by foreign groups for political interests, saying such misinformation distorts the country’s image.
Ayuba urged Nigerians to rely on local institutions to address insecurity rather than seeking external sympathy, warning that foreign sanctions could harm all citizens.
