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Islamic Council Denies ‘Christian Genocide’ Claims, Accuses CAN of Spreading Falsehood

ByTitilope Adako

PublishedOctober 11, 2025

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has dismissed allegations of a “genocide against Christians” in Nigeria, describing such claims as false, divisive, and dangerous.

In a statement signed by its Deputy National Legal Adviser, Imam Haroun Muhammad Eze, and dated October 10, 2025 (18th Rabi’ul Thani 1447 AH), the Council accused the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and their foreign partners of spreading propaganda aimed at destabilising the country.

NSCIA said the allegations amounted to “acts that verge on treason” and were “tools of foreign manipulation,” noting that government agencies and patriotic citizens had already countered the false reports circulating on international platforms and social media.

The Council faulted the federal government for not identifying those allegedly responsible for fuelling the narrative, saying, “It is common knowledge that the negative profiling that Nigeria currently suffers globally is largely the aftermath of the activities of some Nigerian citizens—now revealed as agents of CAN—who have found a big business in self-flagellation.”

The Muslim body accused some individuals of “engaging in acts that verge on treason to achieve material gains” and exploiting religious tension for fame and recognition.

It also criticised the government for “merely appealing to international commentators” rather than confronting the local originators of the alleged misinformation.

According to NSCIA, certain “political desperadoes and religious irredentists” were bent on plunging Nigeria into a religious war. The Council recalled a leaked audio during the 2023 presidential election in which a candidate allegedly described the election as a “religious war.”

Rejecting what it called “deliberate distortion of facts,” NSCIA said it was misleading to claim that terrorist groups in Nigeria were targeting Christians alone. The statement cited reports by the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which showed that both Muslims and Christians had been victims of terror attacks.

The Council accused CAN leaders of “venting lies, projecting persecution and victimhood to the global audience while being the masquerade behind the insecurity in the land.”

It also mentioned some clerics, including Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe of Makurdi Diocese and Rev. Joseph Hayab of Northern CAN, alleging that they made “false and odious statements” without consequences.

“Indeed, as if they were above the law, a popular television station allotted substantial airtime to Rev. Hayab to restate the false narrative that Christians are being targeted and persecuted across Nigeria,” NSCIA said.

While noting that a CAN official had previously admitted that “killings do not follow any pattern” and that “bullets don’t look for a Christian or spare a Muslim,” the Council expressed disappointment that the CAN President still made “false proclamations.”

NSCIA also accused CAN of habitually maligning Islam and Muslims, saying, “When the Chiefs of Defence and Army were Muslims, CAN accused them of complicity. Now that most service chiefs, except one, are Christians, another culprit must be created.”

The Council further alleged that “some terrorist groups being paraded as Islamic were creations of anti-Islamic forces,” citing former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s admission that America created Al-Qaeda.

It accused the federal government of tolerating “religious imbalance” in political appointments, claiming that “62% of presidential appointees are Christians in a country where Muslims are preponderant.” The Council also faulted President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to Plateau State, saying he “met only with Christian leaders” while ignoring the “oppressed Muslim minority.”

“It is thus obvious that the propaganda around the Muslim/Muslim ticket is being successfully used to blackmail and extort the federal government, to the detriment of Muslims,” the statement added.

NSCIA further criticised certain government agencies for allegedly targeting Islamic institutions, citing a National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) circular restricting cooperation between Takaful operators and conventional insurers.

Despite its grievances, the Council reaffirmed its commitment to national unity, saying, “Council strongly believes in one and indivisible Nigeria, and it shall continue to work to preserve this ideal even in the face of the greatest provocation.”

Titilope Adako

Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.