The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) have publicly disagreed over the ongoing violence in Nigeria, sparking a heated debate on whether Christians are facing genocide in the country.
At a press conference held in Abuja on Sunday, NSCIA Secretary-General, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, dismissed claims of Christian genocide as “false, dangerous, and politically motivated.”
He attributed the violence in some regions to factors such as criminality, poverty, and climate-induced migration rather than religious persecution.
“We affirm that in Nigeria, there is no Christian terrorism. There is no Muslim terrorism. There is no religious intolerance in Nigeria,” Prof. Oloyede stated firmly.
In contrast, Bishop Wale Oke, the president of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), expressed a starkly different view during a visit to the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja.
Bishop Oke insisted that Christians are being deliberately targeted in what he described as a genocide.
“There is Christian genocide in Nigeria. There is no other name to call it. No Christian group is attacking Muslims. The patience of the church is being stretched,” he said.
Bishop Oke highlighted attacks by extremist groups such as Boko Haram, ISWAP, and their splinter cells, referencing violent incidents across Benue, Taraba, Southern Kaduna, Owo, Niger, and Plateau states.
He urged for stronger cooperation between the Nigerian government and the United States to combat these insurgents effectively.
The Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, also weighed in on the crisis, calling for national unity and solidarity beyond religious and political divides.
“At this critical period, Nigerians should come together to support the President and join efforts to overcome the lingering security challenges facing the country,” Oba Ladoja urged.
The debate is unfolding amid the United States’ designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern.”
US President Donald Trump warned that military intervention could follow if the killings of Christians do not stop.
Despite the rising tensions, both religious leaders and traditional authorities appealed for foreign assistance, focused on intelligence sharing and the provision of equipment rather than the deployment of foreign troops.
