The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has rejected claims suggesting an ongoing genocide against Christians in Nigeria, describing such assertions as baseless, inflammatory, and politically motivated.
At a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday, the Council’s Secretary-General, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, said the narrative being pushed by some Western media outlets and political figures was part of a deliberate attempt to destabilise the country.
According to him, the violent incidents in certain regions of Nigeria stem largely from criminality, poverty, and migration pressures worsened by climate change—not from religious persecution.
“We affirm that in Nigeria, there is no Christian terrorism. There is no Muslim terrorism. There is no religious intolerance in Nigeria. The Nigerian tragedy is that of poverty, climate change, bad governance over time, and armed criminals who kill indiscriminately while a section of the world seeks to exploit the situation for geopolitical profits,” Oloyede said.
The NSCIA’s remarks came amid fresh controversy following comments by U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently condemned alleged mass killings of Christians in Nigeria and directed the U.S. Department of War “to prepare for possible action.” Trump was quoted as saying any such operation by American forces would be “fast, vicious, and sweet,” should the Nigerian government fail to address the violence.
Oloyede accused certain separatist movements in Nigeria, alongside foreign lobbyists and American politicians, of manipulating the country’s security situation for personal or political advantage.
“These groups push fabricated statistics and doctored videos to influence Western governments, particularly the United States, to take punitive actions against Nigeria,” he alleged.
He also criticised the U.S. government’s renewed decision to list Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” describing it as “a political tool, not a reflection of facts on the ground.”
The Council urged both the Nigerian government and the international community to reject what it called a “false and destabilising narrative,” appealing to President Trump to “assist Nigeria with intelligence and logistics support rather than smear campaigns.”
Oloyede emphasised that unity between Muslims and Christians was essential to defeating insecurity. “There is no Muslim terrorism or Christian terrorism in Nigeria—only criminals exploiting our divisions,” he stated.
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs is chaired by the Sultan of Sokoto.