By Procyon News Staff
Abuja, October 21, 2025
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has refuted a statement credited to the Presidency suggesting that it dismissed claims of a “Christian genocide” in the country, describing such reports as false and misleading.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, CAN clarified that its position on the ongoing persecution and killings of Christians across parts of Northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt remains firm and unchanged.
The clarification follows a visit by Barrister Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy Communication, to the CAN Secretariat at the National Christian Centre, Abuja, on Monday, October 20, 2025. During the meeting, Bwala sought to understand CAN’s reaction to recent comments by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, who had described the widespread attacks on Christians in Nigeria as a “Christian genocide.”
CAN said it was alarmed by a subsequent press statement reportedly issued by Bwala and titled “Presidency Debunks Western Christian Genocide Narrative in Dialogue with CAN Leadership.” The association said the report falsely portrayed Archbishop Okoh as having dismissed the killings as a “so-called Christian genocide.”
“That portrayal is completely false and grossly unfair,” the statement read. “The meeting was recorded by CAN’s media team, and at no point did Archbishop Okoh use such words or express such a view. Referring to the tragedy as a ‘so-called genocide’ trivialises the pain of countless Christians who have lost loved ones, homes, and places of worship in targeted attacks.”
CAN reiterated that across many parts of Northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt, Christian communities have suffered repeated, organised, and brutal attacks that have left thousands dead, villages destroyed, and families displaced — acts it said reflect a consistent pattern of violence over the years.
During the meeting, CAN’s Director of Planning, Research and Strategy, Bishop Mike Akpami, presented verified data from www.orfa.africa documenting targeted assaults on Christians across several African countries, including Nigeria.
Among those present at the meeting were Archbishop Daniel Okoh, Rev. (Dr.) Stephen Panya Baba, Apostle (Prof.) Samson Fatokun, Dean Rev. Emmanuel Nicodemus Ozumba, Dame Comfort Otera Chigbue (Esq), Bishop Mike Akpami, Prophet Commodore Abimbola Ayuba, Rev. Dr. Simon Dolly, and Dr. Victor Ivoke. CAN clarified that Rev. Dr. Uzoaku Williams and Dr. Celestine Aharanwa, whose names appeared in some reports, were not in attendance.
The Christian body called on the Federal Government and security agencies to act urgently, fairly, and transparently to halt the killings and bring perpetrators to justice. It also urged media professionals and government spokespersons to handle such sensitive issues with truth, empathy, and responsibility to avoid deepening wounds or undermining peace.
“The pain of Christian communities across Nigeria cannot be dismissed or politicised. We call for justice, compassion, and truth,” Archbishop Okoh stated.
— Procyon News
