The Federal Government of Nigeria has strongly rejected recent claims of a Christian genocide, calling the allegations false, misleading, and harmful to the country’s global image. According to a report by Vanguard, Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar insisted that the full, unedited version of his Piers Morgan interview must be aired to counter what he described as “misleading narratives and allegations of religious persecution.
Tuggar said that his explanations during the interview were backed by “verifiable data” — data which, he argued, undermines blanket claims of systematic, state‑sponsored religious discrimination. He stressed that Nigeria’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion and protects all citizens equally, regardless of faith.
Echoing these remarks, Information and National Orientation Minister Mohammed Idris dismissed the notion of persecution on religious grounds, labeling the genocide narrative a distortion of Nigeria’s lived reality as a multi-faith nation. He told attendees at a national advertising conference in Abuja that claims of targeted killings undermine trust in the country and misrepresent its values.
Idris underscored that terrorism and banditry remain security challenges — but they are not motivated by religion. “All Nigerians — Christians, Muslims, and others — have suffered from the menace of terrorism and banditry,” he said, calling for balanced, factual communication to correct the record.
To support its position, the government also pointed to its counterterrorism record. According to its latest figures, over 13,500 terrorists have been killed and 17,000 suspects arrested under the current administration.
Meanwhile, the African Union weighed in, with its Commission Chair Mahamoud Ali Youssouf rejecting the genocide claims. Youssouf told reporters in New York that while the security situation in northern Nigeria is complex and severe, it does not amount to genocide. He emphasized that Boko Haram — the insurgent group often cited in these debates — has victims from multiple religious groups, noting that “the first victims of Boko Haram are Muslims, not Christians.
Religious leaders have also reacted. The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) appealed to U.S. President Donald Trump to work collaboratively with President Bola Tinubu rather than using military threats. PFN President Wale Oke told Vanguard that Nigeria does not need invasion — it needs coordinated security and counterterrorism support, not external military intervention.