The Federal Government has dismissed as false and divisive recent claims by some international platforms and online commentators alleging that terrorists in Nigeria are carrying out a systematic genocide against Christians.
In a statement issued on Sunday, September 28, 2025, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described the allegations as “baseless, despicable, and a gross misrepresentation of reality,” stressing that Nigeria’s security challenges should not be distorted into a religious conflict.
Idris noted that violent extremist groups in the country target all Nigerians, irrespective of faith or ethnicity. “Muslims, Christians, and even those who do not identify with any religion have suffered at their hands. These criminals target anyone who rejects their murderous ideology,” he said.
Highlighting recent successes of the Armed Forces, the minister revealed that between May 2023 and February 2025, over 13,543 terrorists and criminals were neutralized, while nearly 10,000 hostages were rescued in military operations across the country. He also confirmed that the leadership of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan (ANSARU), an Al-Qaeda affiliate in Nigeria, was recently captured in a counter-terrorism operation.
The government further emphasized that Nigeria is a multi-religious state where both Christianity and Islam thrive, pointing out that the current heads of the Armed Forces and Police are Christians, underscoring inclusivity in national leadership.
Idris also recalled that Nigeria continue to be recognized globally for promoting interfaith harmony, cited the recent award of the inaugural Commonwealth Peace Prize to Rev. Dr. James Movel Wuye and Imam Dr. Muhammad Nurayn Ashafa, co-founders of the Interfaith Mediation Centre, for their decades-long peacebuilding efforts.
“The Nigerian story is not one of religious genocide or persecution, but of resilience, diversity, and peaceful coexistence,” the minister affirmed, urging the international media to avoid sensationalism and instead support Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and criminality.
