Christian Genocide and the Conspiracy against Nigeria By Femi Fani-Kayode
I listened attentively to the words of Bill Maher and Van Jones of CNN (Twitter handles: @billmaher and @VanJones68), who have both accused Nigeria of indulging in “Christian genocide,” and I pondered deeply on their statements.
If, as a Nigerian, their words and narrative do not concern or scare you, then—as former U.S. President Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) would say—you cannot be a very bright bulb.
When one adds their comments to the recent contribution of Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz), the foremost defender of Israel and an ardent advocate of “Christian Zionism” in the U.S. Senate, where he accused Nigeria of the same and said he would introduce a Bill to “protect Christians in Nigeria,” a clearer picture begins to emerge of the horrendous agenda those behind this narrative have in store for us.
To compound the situation, the Canadian Parliament recently passed a resolution declaring Nigeria as one of the most dangerous places in the world for Christians to live, alleging that Christians are targeted and slaughtered daily across the country.
The first question we must ask is this: since when have the Americans and the West cared about anyone but themselves—least of all, the Christians in our country? How come they have suddenly started mouthing this false battle cry, and how come the same rhetoric is suddenly echoing from places like the Canadian Parliament and other Western capitals?
The sooner those in power in Nigeria—and Nigerians generally—grasp what is truly going on, the better. More importantly, we must act fast to counter this narrative because it is spreading like wildfire globally, and unfortunately, people are buying into it.
The truth is that the Americans, their allies, and their local collaborators are carefully and craftily preparing the ground for a religious war in Nigeria. They want us to tear ourselves apart.
Yes, it is true that Christians have been targeted and killed in large numbers by Islamist terrorists—whether Boko Haram or ISWAP—over the last 14 years. But it is equally true that just as many Muslims have been targeted and killed by these same terrorists over the same period.
Two important points need to be properly understood.
Firstly, the terrorists who have plagued our nation and slaughtered our people, both Christian and Muslim, for the last 14 years were established, armed, funded, and protected by the very same Americans and their Western and Israeli allies who are now pretending to weep more than the bereaved. Worse still, they refused to sell arms to us or allow us to buy weapons elsewhere in our attempt to resist the terrorists. Remember that? They even refused to designate Boko Haram as a terrorist organisation for many years until it suited their purpose.
Secondly, the reason they are now talking about Nigeria and labeling it as a site of “Christian genocide” is not because they love Nigeria or care about Nigerian Christians, but because they want to shift global attention away from Gaza and focus it on Nigeria. They also want to punish us for taking a bold stand at the United Nations against the genocide being unleashed on Gaza—genocide that the West is funding and supporting.
Standing up for humanity is our “crime.” And as a Nigerian, I make no apology for it.
It was indeed our proudest moment and finest hour when our Vice President stood before the world at the United Nations and boldly proclaimed that Nigeria opposed the genocide being unleashed on the Palestinian people, condemned the atrocities in Gaza, and reaffirmed support for a two-state solution. Unlike others, we did not sit on the fence or buckle—and sadly, we are now paying the price for it.
Read Also:
This is the reason for their sudden venom, subversion, and malice. We must not delude ourselves into thinking they genuinely care.
To be clear: there is nothing wrong with them wanting to help Nigeria fight terrorism, and neither is there anything wrong with showing concern. What is wrong—and totally unacceptable—is their false narrative that only Christians are being killed.
Why frame it that way?
Yes, Christian lives matter—but do Muslim lives not matter too? If we are counting Christian bodies, should we not count Muslim ones as well?
Had they said terrorists were killing Nigerians of all faiths, their concern would have been welcome. But when they say only Christians are being killed—and then try to stir the hearts of Christians globally to unleash a crusade in “defense” of Nigerian Christians—that is deeply troubling. Such a wicked and distorted narrative can only divide us and lead to catastrophe.
If this falsehood persists, it will swell the ranks of Boko Haram and ISWAP, alienate Muslims, deepen religious and ethnic divides, and eventually lead to chaos and carnage—the likes of which Nigeria has never seen. Brother will kill brother. A civil war could erupt—and that is precisely what they want.
This is why this newfound Western rhetoric is so dangerous. We must join hands as Nigerians to reaffirm our unity, our plurality of faiths, and our shared national destiny. We must resist this insidious attempt to divide us with a false narrative that could push us over the edge.
If there were truly a Christian genocide in Nigeria, I would be the first to expose, oppose, resist, and fight it—because my faith means everything to me. But the reality is that what is happening is not a genocide against Christians—it is a genocide against all Nigerians, both Christian and Muslim, carried out by a heinous, ISIS-inspired, Al-Qaeda-like band of terrorists and criminals who take pleasure in killing people of every faith.
They do not represent Islam—they represent Satan. And in other countries afflicted in similar ways, both Muslims and Christians have united to fight them. That is what we must do here.
We cannot win the war against terror by turning on ourselves.
We welcome concern from abroad, but we reject falsehood and division.
Permit me to conclude with this reflection: a few years ago, I too mistakenly believed that only Christians were being targeted for genocide in Nigeria. That changed in 2020, when I toured the North-West and North-East and saw the devastation firsthand.
In Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Kaduna, Yobe, Borno, Bauchi, Adamawa, and Gombe, I saw Muslim communities wiped out just like Christian ones. In the Middle Belt, I saw both Christian and Muslim villages destroyed. In Niger, Kwara, Nasarawa, and Kogi, predominantly Muslim communities were attacked just as savagely as those in Benue, Plateau, and Taraba.
From that moment, I took an oath before God and man to speak out against atrocities committed against both Christians and Muslims alike—because to do otherwise would be dishonest and irresponsible.
The sooner we all accept that we are victims of the same evil, the better for our nation. What we must never do is swallow the West’s perfidious narrative that only Christians are being killed in Nigeria.
As Christians, we are called to be our brother’s keeper. As human beings, we must feel equal pain and shame when either a Christian or a Muslim is murdered on our soil.
When these barbaric killers drop their bombs, wield their machetes, and fire their rifles, they do not ask what faith their victims belong to. Beasts do not care whether you are Christian or Muslim—they only care about spilling your blood.
May God guide us, grant us peace, and bless, defend, and protect the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Femi Fani-Kayode is a former Minister of Aviation and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
