The Christian Association of Nigeria has dismissed recent claims of a Christian genocide in Nigeria, describing them as exaggerated narratives promoted by foreign actors.
The controversy arose after US comedian Bill Maher alleged that Christians were being systematically killed in Nigeria.
Maher alleged that Islamists had burnt down churches and were attempting to wipe out the Christian population of an entire country.
Similarly, US Senator Ted Cruz accused Nigerian officials of “ignoring and even facilitating the mass murder of Christians by Islamist jihadists.”
He also claimed that Nigerian Christians were being targeted for their faith and subjected to sharia and blasphemy laws.
Cruz introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act to the US Senate, aimed at sanctioning officials deemed responsible.
Riley Moore, a US Congressman representing West Virginia’s 2nd District, wrote to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging him to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern and suspend arms sales until the government demonstrates commitment to protecting Christians.
In an interview with Guardian Nigeria on Tuesday, CAN’s Director of National Issues and Social Welfare, Abimbola Ayuba, acknowledged that killings were occurring but rejected the notion that Christians alone were being targeted.
“All I will say to you is that empirical facts exist all over the space about the spate of killings in Nigeria. The pattern of killings has truly not been in a particular pattern.
“In some Christian-dominated states like Benue, it will appear as if Christians are being killed.
“But this same insurgency has claimed several Muslims in their early morning prayers; they attack them in their mosques, slaughter them, kidnap people, and do a lot of things,” Ayuba said.
He added that some groups exploit the situation for foreign attention.
“Sometimes, our situation is being taken advantage of by groups who know what they benefit from foreign interests.
“Those foreign interests have a right to poke their noses into what’s going on in our system, but we also have a right to report things as they are.
“Yes, it’s concerning that this insurgency is lasting too long. Also, the spate of killings does not take any pattern. If they open fire in a marketplace, the bullets don’t look for a Christian or spare a Muslim or even spare a baby,” Ayuba stated.
He called for collective action to end the insurgency and cautioned against seeking sympathy abroad.
“So, all we must be doing now is adopt an all-of-society action to stop this insurgency and also address issues of groupthink.
“Why run to America when you have a Senate here where you can file your petition? In the end, when they place Nigeria as a country of particular interest, all of us will suffer.
“But those who run abroad to look for sympathy know why they do that,” Ayuba concluded.
