(UPDATED) Tinubu Fires Back at US Over ‘Christians’ Genocide’ Allegation, Says Nigeria Upholds Religious Freedom
Amid the raging controversy over the designation of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” by the US President, Donald Trump, over the alleged killing of Christians, President Bola Tinubu has said that the country is being wrongly represented as one that is religiously intolerant.
He stated that such claims do not reflect the reality of religious tolerance that exists in the country and the efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion for its citizenry.
This is just as prominent Nigerians urged the Federal Government to engage the US government over the allegations of a Christian genocide in the country.
Recall that President Trump had announced his decision in a Truth Social post on Friday, which was shared on the White House’s X handle.
Checks revealed that a sovereign nation is tagged “Country of Particular Concern” by the United States when it engages in activities detrimental to US interests or universal human rights standards.
According to President Trump, “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘country of particular concern!’
“But that is the least of it. When Christians, or any such group, are slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 worldwide), something must be done! I am asking Congressman Riley Moore, together with Chairman Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee, to immediately look into this matter and report back to me.”
Further checks revealed that a US lawmaker, Riley Moore, had last October called on the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to take immediate diplomatic action over what he described as the “systematic persecution and slaughter of Christians” in Nigeria, which he called the deadliest place in the world for followers of the faith.
But according to President Tinubu, Nigeria respects and guarantees religious liberty for its citizenry.
“Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty,” the president wrote in a reaction he personally signed on Saturday and posted on his X handle, @officialABAT.
He noted: “Since 2023, our administration has maintained an open and active engagement with Christian and Muslim leaders alike and continues to address security challenges which affect citizens across faiths and regions.
“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians.
“Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so. Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it.
“Nigeria is a country with constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths. Our administration is committed to working with the United States government and the international community to deepen understanding and cooperation on protection of communities of all faiths.”
Nigerians Urge Caution
While some prominent Nigerians have faulted the stance taken by the United States government, others called for caution, advising the Tinubu administration to officially engage senior US government officials to present the true situation regarding the security situation in the country.
Reacting to the development, the senator representing Borno Central at the National Assembly, Ali Ndume, accused the Tinubu administration and the Senate of treating the allegation raised by US lawmaker Riley Moore with complacency, prior to the US president’s declaration.
Speaking with Sunday Tribune in a telephone interview, the former Senate Leader advised the Federal Government to take urgent steps to engage the United States government and present facts and figures on the activities of terrorist organisations, which he noted are blind to faith.
He said: “I have alerted the government. I even moved a motion. Nigeria is a sovereign state; it isn’t about what the United States can do to us, but a question of classification as a country of particular concern.
“We should engage the American government by presenting facts and figures. By engaging the US government, we should demand that they hear the other side of the story from the Nigerian government and the Muslim community. Muslims have been killed too. The genocide isn’t against Christians but Nigerians generally.”
Speaking further, Senator Ndume asked the Federal Government to integrate its experienced diplomats in any engagement with the United States government.
“Before things get out of hand, Nigeria should engage seasoned diplomats like Chief Emeka Anyaoku, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, Babagana Kingibe, Professor Sulu Gambari, and Aminat Mohammed in the United Nations. They should also engage the American embassy in Nigeria because they have the facts.
“We can change the narrative by ensuring that we aren’t tagged a country of particular concern, but a country of special concern, so that they can give us all the support, including arms and ammunition to effectively contain the terrorists. The good thing about America is that if they know the truth, they will stick to it.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, faulted the position taken by President Trump, which alleged widespread killings of Christians in Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja and signed by the spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, the ministry said the claims “do not reflect the situation on the ground” and are inconsistent with the realities of Nigeria’s religious and social life, saying that Nigerians of all faiths have long lived, worked, and worshipped together peacefully.
Ebienfa stressed that Nigeria remains firmly committed to protecting human rights and promoting religious freedom under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“Under the leadership of President Tinubu, Nigeria remains committed to fighting terrorism, strengthening interfaith harmony, and protecting the lives and rights of its entire people,” the statement read.
The ministry acknowledged international concern about human rights and religious freedom but insisted that such narratives must be grounded in facts.
“While Nigeria appreciates global concern for human rights and religious freedom, these claims do not reflect the situation on the ground,” Ebienfa reiterated.
He added that the government would continue to engage constructively with Washington to enhance cooperation and mutual understanding.
“Nigeria will continue to engage constructively with the government of the United States to deepen mutual understanding of regional dynamics and the country’s ongoing peace and security efforts,” the spokesperson said.
The statement urged international partners to rely on credible information and appreciate Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to counter violent extremism and promote national unity.
‘It Is Better to Wait’
In his reaction, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto and Convener of the National Peace Committee, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, told Sunday Tribune that the development called for caution.
He said: “It is better to wait. It is too premature to start commenting. I think it is better to wait and study the situation. This is more of a government-to-government thing.”
Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ayodele Arise, aligned with the position taken by Senator Ndume as he urged the Federal Government to seize the initiative to counter what he dismissed as evil propaganda and misinformation.
While he acknowledged that there are pockets of states where killings are rampant, particularly those populated by Christians, he, however, maintained that such isolated cases should not be used to tag Nigeria as a state where genocide is being committed against Christians.
He said: “My reaction is very simple. At no time should we allow evil propaganda to override the good ones. Some have said that there is genocide in Nigeria. I know that there have been killings in Plateau, Benue, and Taraba.
“Now, if it is those isolated cases that the US is talking about, then it can’t be blamed. It is now the duty of handlers of government to go out and ensure that our voices are heard and to convince the outside world that there is no such thing as genocide in Nigeria.
“Yes, there are isolated cases, and that’s what the Western world is saying. It is our responsibility to speak out. It is our duty to push out the fact that there is no such thing as genocide. Those in government should come out to speak publicly. Any complacency can be taken as an official position.
“Yes, in some states like Sokoto, a young lady who happened to be a Christian was burnt to death. But that is not the situation in the entire country. In the South-West, it has never happened.”
‘Political Carnage, Not Religious Genocide’
In his contribution, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Adeola Adedipe, described what is happening in Nigeria as political carnage disguised as religious genocide.
According to him, the cause of the carnage is “corrosive politics,” adding that those involved knew that religion is people’s opium.
While saying that foreigners are the actual sponsors of the carnage, the senior advocate asserted that both Christians and Muslims are victims of the protracted onslaught on Nigerians.
“What we have in Nigeria is political carnage disguised as religious genocide. At the root of it is corrosive politics because the players know that religion is the opium of the people. Importantly, the actual sponsors of the protracted killings are foreigners. Both Christians and Muslims are victims of the protracted onslaught, politically (local and international) propelled,” Adedipe told Sunday Tribune.
CISLAC, TI Nigeria Urge End to Impunity
Meanwhile, the head of Transparency International (TI) Nigeria and Executive Director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center (CISLAC), Comrade Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, has called on the Tinubu administration to end impunity in the country by bringing perpetrators of evil acts to book.
Speaking exclusively with Sunday Tribune, Comrade Rafsanjani, who doubles as Chairman, Board of Trustees of Amnesty International Nigeria chapter, argued that there is no policy in place by the present and successive administrations to decisively tackle the wanton killings that have gripped the country over the years.
He said: “I strongly believe that the Nigerian government was not very proactive in responding positively to the whole world and to Nigerians about this allegation. The Nigerian government usually takes things for granted and now it has escalated to this level.
“It’s a problem that began over 10 years ago when some people felt that the Nigerian government was not doing enough to protect them against people that go after their lives. And this, in my opinion, is a problem that affected Muslims and non-Muslims, Christians and non-Christians. Therefore, killings in Nigeria are perpetrated by heartless criminal people, not necessarily on the basis of religion.
“So, what was expected of the Nigerian government was to ensure that they provide proper clarification to Nigerians and also the international community, and show more commitment towards saving lives of Nigerians, irrespective of their religious beliefs or geographical identity.
“But sometimes the Nigerian government is very slow in responding to issues that require urgent attention. This is a problem that some people have campaigned about for the last 10 years all over the world — not only in the United States, but also in Britain, Europe, and other countries.
“The inability of the government to respond to issues and provide, at least, an alternative view or perspective to whoever is interested in hearing the truth about the situation in Nigeria landed us in this decision taken by the Trump administration.”
Directly speaking on the designation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern, Rafsanjani said: “I want to believe that the US will also have the opportunity to gather more facts and evidence. They will be able, on the basis of their overwhelming facts and evidence, to review this and possibly lift Nigeria from this section. But Nigeria must also do the work. They must show and demonstrate commitment towards saving lives.
“The government must end impunity and must ensure that whoever perpetrates atrocity against the Nigerian people is brought to book. That’s the only way to guarantee and assure Nigerians and the international community that Nigeria is determined and willing to ensure protection of the Nigerian people.”