The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has strongly rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent claims of a Christian genocide in Nigeria, describing them as inaccurate and politically motivated.
In a statement shared on its X handle on Monday, the country’s top Islamic body emphasized that both Muslims and Christians are equally affected by armed criminal activities across Nigeria.
“There is no Christian genocide in Nigeria. No Muslim genocide. No religious intolerance,” the NSCIA said. “The Nigerian tragedy stems from poverty, climate change, poor governance, and armed criminals who kill indiscriminately, while some in the international community exploit the situation.”
Citing data from the 2022 Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), the council noted that violence in Nigeria targets people of all faiths, not Christians alone.
The NSCIA also addressed Nigerian Christians directly, assuring them that Muslims are not their adversaries. “You are not our enemies; you are our compatriots, colleagues, and neighbours,” the statement read. “We are all victims of a failing security system and a brutal criminal insurgency.”
Trump had previously indicated he was considering deploying U.S. troops or launching air strikes in Nigeria to protect Christians, remarks made shortly after Nigeria was re-designated as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) by the U.S.—a list that includes nations accused of violating religious freedoms, such as China, Russia, and North Korea.
Responding to the designation, the NSCIA criticized it as politically driven. “The re-imposition of the CPC status is not based on new facts. It is a political tool wielded by lobbyists and diminishes the concept of religious freedom,” the council said, noting that Nigeria’s CPC status had previously been lifted in 2023.
