Christian Association Rejects Presidency’s Claim, Affirms ‘Ongoing Genocide’ Against Christians
By Mike Odeh James
Virtually all major Nigerian newspapers this week have amplified the federal government’s orchestrated denial of a Christian genocide, as argued by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and thought leaders interviewed by TruthNigeria.
Nigerian media whose coverage leaned strongly toward the government side of the story include TheCable, (“Claims of Christian genocide in Nigeria are baseless, says information minister;” Premium Times, (“Nigerian govt denies genocide against Christians”); The Guardian (“FG slams Foreign Commentators over False Religious Genocide Claims”); Daily Trust, “Christian genocide claim in Nigeria false – Sultan”; Punch (Presidency, CAN clash over Christian genocide claim); and Deutsche Welle (DW: Nigeria: ‘Christian genocide’ or a crisis of narratives?) pmexpressNg, (“Presidency debunks Christian genocide narrative”) among others. Broadcast outlets Channels TV, Arise TV, and TVC emphasized the government narrative. To its credit, Daily Post did not follow suit and refuted the administration’s narrative denying genocide, according to an October 21 report from Arise News.
The Nigerian media appear tactically aligned with the government. According to Jonathan Asake, former President of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), most of the press amplified the Federal Government’s denial of genocide.
“The Nigerian media hyped Bishop Kukah’s warning against the U.S. listing Nigeria on the CPC (Country of Particular Concern) but ignored Mike Arnold’s press Conference on Oct. 14 in Abuja where he presented evidence of genocide. Only TruthNigeria and Sahara Reporters carried it,’ Asake said.
“Stop wasting taxpayers’ money on U.S. trips and instead launch a full-scale military operation to end the killings,” Asake added.
The Nigerian Government appears to have hit a major roadblock in its attempt to discredit allegations of Christian persecution and genocide.
U.S. leaders such as Senator Ted Cruz, Sam Brownback (former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom), Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), former Congressman Frank Wolf, and Judd Saul, founder of Equipping the Persecuted, have accused Nigeria of condoning or failing to prevent systematic killings of Christians.
Presidency Reaches Out to CAN
On Tuesday, 21 October 2024, Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser on Media and Policy Communication to President Bola Tinubu, met with the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) — the umbrella body representing over 120 million Christians in Abuja.
The meeting aimed to convince CAN that there is no genocide against Christians, but rather a general security challenge affecting all Nigerians.
Shortly after, Bwala posted on Facebook suggesting that CAN had agreed with the government’s position. The move quickly backfired, prompting CAN issue a strongly worded rebuttal.
Bwala: ‘There Is No Genocide in Nigeria‘
In a follow-up interview, Bwala maintained that claims of genocide were politically motivated:
“The purpose of our visit was dialogue around the so-called genocide campaign started outside Nigeria by Senator Ted Cruz. Government’s position is clear there is no Christian genocide. What we have are security challenges that cut across religion and ethnicity. Genocide implies state-sponsored or coordinated killings — which is not the case in Nigeria.”
He added that President Tinubu’s administration “does not view insecurity through a religious lens” and that its “duty is to protect every Nigerian.”
CAN Fires Back: ‘The Killings Are Targeted‘
CAN, led by Archbishop Daniel Okoh, swiftly rejected Bwala’s interpretation:
“At no point did Archbishop Okoh say there is no genocide. Referring to the tragedy as a ‘so-called genocide’ trivializes the pain of countless Christians who have lost loved ones and churches to organized attacks.”
In its statement, CAN reaffirmed that: “Christian communities in many parts of Northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt have suffered repeated, organized, and brutal attacks. These are not isolated crimes but a continuing pattern of violence that has persisted for years without justice or closure.”
This is not the first time the Nigerian Government has tried to counter the genocide narrative. In early October, Reno Omokri, an ally of President Tinubu, invited the former Mayor of Blanco, Texas, to refute genocide claims, but the visitor instead confirmed evidence of targeted Christian killings.
Similarly, Massad Boulos, Senior Advisor to former U.S. President Donald Trump, visited Tinubu and reiterated the government’s stance that terrorists have killed more Muslims than Christians—a statement that sparked outrage in Nigeria and abroad.
Senate to Engage U.S. Lawmakers
Nigeria’s Senate announced plans to send a delegation to Washington to address allegations of “Christian genocide” after Senator Ted Cruz introduced a bill designating Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern.”
Senate President Godswill Akpabio said lawmakers would brief Congress on Nigeria’s broader security crisis, insisting that terrorism targets all citizens.
Nigerian Clerics Speak Out
Rev. Dr. Sam Albert Magai of Kings Worship Chapel, Kaduna, told TruthNigeria:
“There are targeted killings of Christians in Nigeria. Tinubu may not have started it, but he should tell the world his plans to stop it.”
Rev. James Gyang Pam, a Middle Belt historian, added:
“In the North-East, Boko Haram and ISWAP eradicated Christians before turning on Muslims. In the Middle Belt, Christians are the main targets, while in the North-West, Fulani terrorists uproot original Hausa inhabitants.”
In Benisheik, Borno State, burnt churches stand like tombstones — crosses broken, pews reduced to ash. No Christians live there now; most were killed, others fled. “Boko Haram’s earliest war was against Christians — an attempt to erase them from northern Nigeria,” according to David Onyilokwu Idah, Director of the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC).
Idah said the pattern of attacks meets the threshold of genocide.
Mike Odeh James is a Conflict Reporter, and he writes for TruthNigeria
