A coalition of Nigerian civil society groups, led by the Centre for Public Accountability (CPA), has strongly warned against the growing narrative of a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, calling it misleading and dangerous. At a press conference in Lagos on November 17, 2025, the group urged politicians and activists to stop stoking religious and tribal tensions, insisting the country’s security challenges are rooted in broader national problems, not the persecution of one faith.
Declan Ihekaire, convener of the coalition, argued that attempts to frame the violence afflicting parts of Nigeria as exclusively targeting Christians are “dangerous, simplistic, and deliberately engineered to inflame religious tensions.” He emphasised that insecurity in Nigeria is a national crisis, affecting Muslims, Christians, and other communities, and urged a more holistic, non-sectarian response.
Ihekaire also condemned what he described as external interference by foreign governments seeking to exploit Nigeria’s internal instability for political gain. “Nigeria cannot and must not become another destabilised theatre of global power play,” he said, while calling on international partners to respond with respect for Nigeria’s sovereignty.
The coalition’s intervention comes amid escalating international pressure. Former U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened military action against Nigeria, accusing its government of failing to protect Christians from extremist violence. In response, Nigeria’s Islamic leadership has also rejected the genocide claims. The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) described them as “false, politically motivated, and dangerous,” arguing that they misrepresent Nigeria’s complex security landscape.
According to NSCIA Secretary-General Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, the root causes of violence in Nigeria are “poverty, criminality, and ecological pressures”, not religious persecution. He warned that the genocide narrative threatens Nigeria’s unity and sovereignty, accusing some foreign actors of using the issue to push a destabilising ideological agenda.
This debate comes amid data and statements from independent sources suggesting that the majority of violence in Nigeria is not clearly faith-based. Some analysts say that the killings, while terrible, do not match the UN’s legal definition of genocide and instead reflect the multifaceted nature of Nigeria’s security crisis.
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