Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has dismissed allegations of a Christian genocide in Nigeria, describing the allegation as “politics taken too far.”
Speaking on Politics Tonight on Channels Television on Monday, Wike said there was no basis for insinuations that the government of President Bola Tinubu was turning a blind eye to the killing of Christians in the country.
He said, “The Inspector General of Police is a Christian, the Director-General of State Security is a Christian. Today, the Chief of Defence is a Christian; the former Chief of Defence is a Christian. The Secretary to the Government is a Christian. Now tell me, how can any right-thinking person sit in government that will support the killing of our own people? That’s why I said it is politics taken too far,” Wike said.
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The minister said it’s impossible for Tinubu to condone or support any form of religious persecution, saying, “Not this President — whose wife is a senior pastor — will shut his eyes and will not do anything, that a particular religion is being eliminated. Certainly not.”
Wike emphasised that the federal government had invested heavily in combating terrorism and safeguarding citizens, regardless of their faith.
“In fact, as I speak to you, I don’t know any government that has spent more resources in taming terrorism than this government,” he said.
He added that terrorism in Nigeria had affected everyone, not just one religious group.
“Terrorists are killing Christians, terrorists are killing Muslims, terrorists are killing non-believers. Nobody would be happy over the death of anybody, whether a Christian or a Muslim. No right-thinking leader would say, ‘I’m happy that people are dying,” Wike said.
The minister also defended President Tinubu’s record on religious tolerance, recalling that his own support for the President during the 2023 elections was based on Tinubu’s inclusive character.
“One of the reasons some of us supported him, when people raised the issue of a Muslim-Muslim ticket, was because we knew the kind of person he is. He is not an extremist. That’s why he was able to say, ‘I’m marrying a Christian,” Wike said.
