The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has maintained that there is an ongoing “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, describing any denial of it as a “desecration.”
PFN President, Bishop Francis Oke, made this declaration in Ibadan, Oyo State, insisting that the scale and persistence of attacks on Christians in several parts of Northern Nigeria could “no longer be debated.”
However, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has strongly rejected the claims, describing them as false, politically motivated, and dangerous to national unity.
“Where is Leah Sharibu?” – PFN asks
Speaking to journalists, Bishop Oke said: “Where is Leah Sharibu? What happened to the Chibok girls? Chibok is a predominantly Christian community in Borno State. What is going on in Benue State? Since Donald Trump cried foul against Nigeria on the matter of genocide, many more people are being killed in Plateau State.”
He said the concerns raised by former U.S. President Donald Trump reflect a reality Nigerians are witnessing daily. “We are not accusing the Muslim community, get me clear. We have been living together for ages in mutual respect and harmony. It is the violent sect of Islam that is called Boko Haram and ISWAP and co., that use the name of Islam to attack churches. Hundreds of churches had been burnt down; tens of thousands of Christians had been massacred. Hundreds of pastors had been butchered,” he said.
“It would be a desecration to the blood of these Nigerians to call it any other name. There is not a single instance of a Christian group attacking the Muslims. It is always the other way round.”
Oke also condemned the kidnapping and forced marriages of young girls in the North, calling it “a rampantly growing injustice.”
He continued: “Now, when Donald Trump said there is genocide against the church and Christians in Nigeria, some people are complaining. There is nothing to complain about. We should properly identify the malaise so we can deal with it effectively. You don’t call cancer a headache. This is something that is consuming our country, giving us a bad name all over the world, and the patience of the church is being stretched.”
NSCIA dismisses genocide claim
In response, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) dismissed the genocide allegations, saying Nigeria’s crisis was driven by insecurity, not religion.
The Council’s Secretary-General, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, said in Abuja that the claims of “Christian genocide” were misleading and unhelpful. “We have not been emphasising the killings of Muslims. Not because we are not aware that Muslims are being killed, but because we do not see what is happening as a religious war. This is a national security issue, not a religious one,” Oloyede stated.
He faulted former U.S. President Donald Trump and Western organisations for “mischaracterising Nigeria’s insecurity as a religious conflict.”
“It is unfortunate that U.S. President Donald Trump and some of his associates have been misled to label our country as a place of religious genocide. Such language is dangerous, unfair, and undermines the efforts of a sovereign nation fighting terrorism,” Oloyede said.
According to him, Nigeria’s instability stems from “a crisis of survival, driven by environmental collapse, poverty, and criminal opportunism,” not religious persecution.
He further accused “foreign-backed lobbyists and separatist sympathisers” of spreading falsehoods for political and financial gain. “These lobbyists flood Washington with doctored videos and fake statistics. They quote fabricated figures of Christian deaths and spread religious persecution claims to secure asylum, funding, and attention. This is a betrayal of our nation,” Oloyede added.
The NSCIA reaffirmed its commitment to peace and national unity, urging Nigerians to resist divisive narratives that could inflame religious tension.
