The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has dismissed allegations of Christian genocide in Nigeria, stating that insecurity is driven by terrorism, criminality, and ecological pressures, not religion.
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has rejected claims by the United States suggesting a Christian genocide is occurring in Nigeria, describing such allegations as “false and dangerous,” according to Premium Times Nigeria reporting.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, NSCIA Secretary-General Prof. Ishaq Oloyede said Nigeria’s security challenges are national, not religious. “We have not been emphasising the killings of Muslims because we do not see it as a religious war, but a national security issue,” Oloyede said.
He added that reports by Amnesty International and the United Nations confirm no evidence exists of a deliberate campaign targeting Christians.
The council pointed to multiple drivers of insecurity, including terrorism, banditry, organized crime, illicit artisanal mining, environmental degradation, and governance failures. “This is a violent, organised crime racket for resources and there is nothing Islamic about it,” the statement read.
NSCIA criticized sections of the US political establishment for promoting an ideological agenda rather than aiding Nigeria in counter-terrorism efforts. It alleged that American evangelical groups, some US politicians, and diaspora lobbyists circulated doctored videos and unverified data to advance political and sectarian interests.
“Countries like Iraq, Libya, Syria are worse off today because bombs don’t discriminate destruction,” Oloyede warned.
The council praised Nigerian Christians, including Femi Falana and Gov. Chukwuma Soludo, for rejecting the genocide narrative while urging international partners to support intelligence and equipment sharing instead of labeling Nigeria as a target for punitive measures.
Experts note that attacks affecting Christians often also target Muslims, and conflicts portrayed as religious are largely criminal, economic, and ecological in nature.