Genocide: Confronting Reality Over Attacks On Christians

“…Accepting to negotiate with terror elements is akin to empowering lawlessness and sharing power with men from the caves whose evils have continued to threaten the corporate existence of our nation”

By Musa Simon Reef

When the American comedian, Bill Maher, spoke about Christians being systematically killed in what many described as genocide, it sparked debate and outrage among citizens who seem divided over the issue, with the Federal Government dismissing the allegation as a pure attempt to obfuscate the truth.

Though acknowledging that the country’s security forces are still confronting criminal groups that are not targeting a single religion, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Hon Mohammed Idris, declared that Nigeria, “like many countries, has faced security challenges. Couching the situation as a deliberate, systematic attack on Christians is inaccurate and harmful”

If the response by the government that repudiated Maher’s allegation was expected to rest the matter as raised by the American comedian, a member of the US Congress, Riley More of West Virginia 2nd District, has written to the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, urging him to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).

As if to add fuel to the raging discourse that has sparked global discourse, Senator Ted Cruz from Texas lampooned the Nigerian government for “ignoring and even facilitating the mass murder of Christians by Islamist jihadists.”

Memory Lane

We have walked past Cruz’s fear of the government’s complicity in these attacks. His opinion would have resonated during the previous administration, but under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he has demonstrably proven to all that he does not intend to tolerate the killers of his citizens whose sole intention is to turn our country into a killing field.

What has delayed the complete routing of these terror groups is the deployment of a carrot-and-stick approach that has never worked in the past and will never work in the future.

Accepting to negotiate with terror elements is akin to empowering lawlessness and sharing power with men from the caves whose evils have continued to threaten the corporate existence of our nation.

Evidences abound of Christian genocide in the past, especially in the North, with alleged complicit of previous government. But, not anymore!

In a clarifying statement on the Americans’ allegations, The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Okoh Daniel, expressed deep concern at the increasing attacks unleashed on Christian communities, stressing that government’s response on combating these bloody raids on communities largely inhabited by Christians remains a cause for concern, the CAN’s president urged the authorities to take decisive actions to halt further attacks and bring to justice perpetrators of these crimes.

According to him, “Many Christian communities in parts of Nigeria, especially in the North, have suffered severe attacks, loss of life, and the destruction of places of worship. These realities are painful reminders of the urgent need for government and security agencies to act decisively to protect every citizen, regardless of region.”

Grim Statistics

The ‘World Watch List’, a publication of ‘Open Doors International’, monitors the persecution of Christians around the world.

The report notes that in 2024 alone, 3,100 Christians were murdered for their faith. The ‘International Christian Concern’ has called on the US to designate Nigeria as a CPC to halt the persecution of Christians.

Heinous activities by insurgent groups in Nigeria is a reflection of the level of extreme persecution and killings as shown by people running away from their ancestral homes to Internally Displaced Person (IDP) for refuge.

Most Rev. Daniel C. Okoh; General Overseer of the Christ Holy Church International, a.k.a. Nation Builders,  President of the Christian Association of Nigeria.

The statistics becomes more upsetting when ‘Genocide Watch’ reveals that between July 2009 and 2023, about 52,250 Nigerian Christian were murdered, with armed Fulani herdsmen responsible for death of 19, 000, militant groups like Boko Haram, Ansaru and ISWAP killed 18,500, while another 6,000 were killed by others.

These statistics indicate that Christians, especially from the North, are targeted by these murderers whose acts have led to the destruction of 18,000 churches and 2,200 schools in mainly Christian dominated areas.

Evidences abound of Christian genocide in the past, especially in the North, with alleged complicit of previous government. But, not anymore! Current campaigns by our security forces have decimated the power of these terror elements and decapitated the activities of militant groups like Boko Haram, Ansaru and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) that are resolved to turn Nigeria, especially the North, into a hotbed of killings, leaving hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced.

New Reality

The continued stay of Ms. Leah Sharibu in the dungeon of Boko Haram has continued to stain our nation’s claim to secularity. The brutal killing of Deborah Samuel and the hundreds of abducted citizens in the gulags of bandits and militant sects are clear attempts that Christians are the main targets.

While Christians are not only the victims of these atrocious acts of violence, the silence over attacks on Muslim areas further gives the impression that Muslim groups are content in their silence. From available data, the data on recurring attacks have clearly shown that Christian communities have suffered devastation.

Since his emergence as president, Senator Tinubu has shown an unprecedented commitment in dealing with forces of insecurity. While no one can doubt the truth that these perpetrators of bloodshed have continued to wage war against Christians, especially in the North where religious animosity has continued unabated for political expediency, insurgency and insecurity have become effective tools in advocating for regime change and portray a sitting government as incompetent and clueless.

Nigeria must confront insecurity with all the energy it can muster. The weak point in confronting killers of Christians is tied to the incapacity of our political class and citizens to unite for not only the safety of Christians but also others

We saw it during the era of President Goodluck Jonathan. Nothing changed when Muhammadu Buhari replaced the shoeless child that would later rule the country for over five years.

We can’t afford the luxury of expending our energies over whether there is genocide against Christians. Nigeria must confront insecurity with all the energy it can muster.

The weak point in confronting killers of Christians is tied to the incapacity of our political class and citizens to unite for not only the safety of Christians but also others. The irredeemable greed and subversive actions by leaders remain an albatross. Tinubu and citizens must confront the realities of these attacks across religious divides in order to save what is left of our humanity.

Read Also: The Rise and Fall of Uche Nnaji: A Tech Minister’s Turbulent Journey