Emmanuel Thomas l Monday, Sept 29, 2025
ABUJA – The Nigerian Federal Government has strongly condemned and categorically refuted recent allegations by international platforms and online influencers suggesting that terrorists in the country are engaged in a systematic genocide against Christians. In a press statement released today, the government branded such claims as “false, baseless, despicable, and divisive,” arguing they grossly misrepresent the nation’s complex security reality.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, asserted that framing the ongoing security challenges as a campaign against a single religious group oversimplifies a multifaceted environment.
“The violent activities of terrorist groups are not confined to any particular religious or ethnic community,” the statement read, adding that Muslims, Christians, and those with no religious affiliation have all suffered at the hands of these criminals.
The government provided specific figures to underscore its commitment and success in combating terrorism. It reported that between May 2023 and February 2025, a total of over 13,543 terrorists and criminals were neutralized, and nearly 10,000 hostages were rescued in multiple military operations nationwide.
The statement highlighted a recent significant achievement: the capture of the top leadership of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU), Nigeria’s Al-Qaeda affiliate. Those arrested included the self-styled Emir, Mahmud Muhammad Usman (aka Abu Bara’a/Abbas/Mukhtar), and his proclaimed Chief of Staff and Deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Mallam Mamuda).
Furthermore, the government noted its ongoing legal efforts, confirming that it has successfully prosecuted seven batches of Boko Haram suspects, securing over 700 convictions, with an eighth prosecution cycle currently underway.
In addressing the claim of Christian marginalization, the statement pointed out that Nigeria is a multi-religious state with a population almost evenly split between Islam and Christianity. While various sources provide slightly differing figures, Christians and Muslims each account for approximately 46-54% of Nigeria’s population of over 230 million.
The government underscored the country’s inclusivity by noting that the current heads of both the Armed Forces and the Police Force are Christians.
The press statement concluded by championing Nigeria’s global commitment to peaceful coexistence, citing the inaugural Commonwealth Peace Prize awarded in March of this year to two Nigerian religious leaders, Rev. Dr. James Movel Wuye and Imam Dr. Muhammad Nurayn Ashafa, for their decades of work promoting interfaith harmony.
The government urged international media to “act with responsibility and have respect for facts” and avoid sensationalism.
