The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has refuted recent allegations of a Christian genocide in the country, calling them exaggerated narratives being pushed by foreign interests.
The controversy began after American comedian Bill Maher claimed that Christians were being systematically targeted and killed in Nigeria.
Maher claimed that Islamist groups had burned down churches and were attempting to eradicate the Christian population across the country.
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Likewise, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz accused Nigerian officials of “ignoring and even facilitating the mass murder of Christians by Islamist jihadists.”
He further alleged that Christians in Nigeria were being persecuted for their faith and subjected to harsh Sharia and blasphemy laws.
Cruz also introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act in the U.S. Senate, seeking to impose sanctions on officials found responsible for such violations.
Riley Moore, a U.S. Congressman representing West Virginia’s 2nd District, sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging him to label Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern and to halt arms sales until the Nigerian government proves its commitment to protecting Christians.
In an interview with The Guardian Nigeria on Tuesday, Abimbola Ayuba, who serves as CAN’s Director of National Issues and Social Welfare, acknowledged the ongoing violence in parts of the country but refuted claims that Christians were the exclusive targets.
“All I will say to you is that empirical facts exist all over the space about the spate of killings in Nigeria. The pattern of killings has truly not been in a particular pattern.
“In some Christian-dominated states like Benue, it will appear as if Christians are being killed.
“But this same insurgency has claimed several Muslims in their early morning prayers; they attack them in their mosques, slaughter them, kidnap people, and do a lot of things,” Ayuba said.
He remarked that some groups take advantage of the situation to gain attention from foreign audiences.
“Sometimes, our situation is being taken advantage of by groups who know what they benefit from foreign interests.
“Those foreign interests have a right to poke their noses into what’s going on in our system, but we also have a right to report things as they are.
“Yes, it’s concerning that this insurgency is lasting too long. Also, the spate of killings does not take any pattern. If they open fire in a marketplace, the bullets don’t look for a Christian or spare a Muslim or even spare a baby,” Ayuba stated.
He emphasised the need for united efforts to defeat the insurgency and advised against appealing for sympathy from foreign countries.
“So, all we must be doing now is adopt an all-of-society action to stop this insurgency and also address issues of groupthink.
“Why run to America when you have a Senate here where you can file your petition? In the end, when they place Nigeria as a country of particular interest, all of us will suffer.
“But those who run abroad to look for sympathy know why they do that,” Ayuba concluded.
Days before CAN’s statement, President Bola Tinubu had met with northern Christian leaders at the headquarters of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Jos, Plateau State, where he reaffirmed his commitment to uniting Nigerians and ensuring fairness among all religions.
During the meeting, Tinubu assured the clergymen that his administration would remain committed to protecting all citizens regardless of faith, adding that what binds Nigerians is greater than what divides them.
He said, “I have a mission to unite this country, ensure its prosperity, and we are making progress. In our family, we have a strong Muslim background, and I married a Christian, a pastor for that matter, and I have never forced her to change her religion.”
The President urged Christian leaders to support his administration’s efforts toward peace, stressing that insecurity affects everyone and that government was working to end banditry, terrorism, and communal clashes.
His meeting with the Christian community came amid growing international concern and foreign criticisms over alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria—issues which CAN has now dismissed as misleading and not reflective of the realities on the ground.
