The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) on Sunday dismissed the recent allegation of Christian genocide in Nigeria, labeling the claims as false, dangerous, and politically motivated.
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Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the NSCIA’s Secretary-General, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, accused certain Western media and political figures of championing the genocide narrative as part of an alleged coordinated campaign to destabilize Nigeria.
The NSCIA maintained that the violence in parts of the country was fundamentally driven by criminality, poverty, and climate-induced migration, rather than religious persecution.
Religious Leaders Divided
The strong denial comes in the wake of the United States President Donald Trump’s decision to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC).
Trump had condemned continued killings in the country, declaring America’s readiness to send its military to Nigeria if the government failed to stop the attacks by jihadist groups.
However, the President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Wale Oke, immediately countered the NSCIA’s position, insisting that, “There is Christian genocide in Nigeria.” This stance highlights the deep and persistent division among Nigerian religious leaders regarding the nature and motivation of the ongoing violence.
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