President Bola Tinubu has dismissed claims of religious persecution in Nigeria, describing them as a “lie from the pit of hell.”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has dismissed claims that Christians face systematic persecution in Nigeria, insisting the narrative is false.
Speaking in Imo State on Tuesday during the inauguration of projects and the launch of Governor Hope Uzodimma’s book, Tinubu said: “They lie all over the place that we have religious persecution. Our Muslim brothers and sisters, our Christian brothers and sisters are united. No religious persecution in Nigeria, it is a lie from the pit of hell.”
His comments follow allegations by American comedian and political commentator Bill Maher, who claimed Nigeria was witnessing a genocide against Christians. Maher alleged that “over a hundred thousand” Christians had been killed since 2009 and more than 18,000 churches destroyed.
Responding separately, the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, said Maher’s remarks misrepresented Nigeria’s security challenges. He stressed that the country’s violence should not be framed as a targeted campaign against one religious group.