‘Hands Off Nigeria’: NSCIA Warns U.S. Over ‘Fake Genocide’ Claims and Political Interference

“NSCIA to U.S.: Stop Spreading Fake Genocide Claims; Nigeria’s Crisis Is Not Religious”

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has strongly dismissed allegations by the United States and some Western organizations suggesting that Christians are being subjected to genocide in Nigeria. According to the council, such claims are false, politically motivated, and dangerous to the nation’s unity and global image. At a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday, the Secretary-General of the NSCIA, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, said the council’s conclusion followed a high-level meeting of its General Purpose Committee, which reviewed recent diplomatic and security developments affecting the country.
He explained that the NSCIA, representing all major Islamic organizations across Nigeria, had resolved to condemn foreign propaganda and reject any attempt to frame Nigeria’s complex insecurity challenges as a religious war.

Prof. Oloyede clarified that the killings happening across the country were not based on religion but rather a reflection of national security failures, poverty, and social decay.

“We have not been emphasizing the killings of Muslims, not because we are unaware that Muslims are being killed,” he said, “but because we do not see what is happening as a religious war. This is a national security issue, not a religious one.”

He cautioned that certain foreign political groups and evangelical networks, especially in the United States, were deliberately promoting a false narrative that Nigeria persecutes Christians, a narrative he described as mischievous and destabilizing.

The NSCIA expressed deep concern over what it called an organized misinformation campaign targeting Nigeria in Western media, particularly in the U.S., where sensational reports often claim there is ongoing genocide against Christians. Prof. Oloyede said these reports have misled high-ranking American officials, including U.S. President Donald Trump, into making misinformed statements that portray Nigeria unfairly before the international community.

“It is unfortunate that President Donald Trump and some of his allies have been misled to label Nigeria as a country of religious genocide,” Oloyede said. “Such language is dangerous, unfair, and undermines the efforts of a sovereign nation battling terrorism and banditry.”

The NSCIA emphasized that the true causes of Nigeria’s security problems are poverty, unemployment, desertification, and criminal opportunism, not religion. Quoting findings from Amnesty International and the International Crisis Group, Oloyede explained that climate change and competition for scarce natural resources were major triggers of violence in the northern and central regions of the country.

“This is not a holy war,” he stressed. “It is a struggle for survival, driven by environmental collapse, poverty, and criminality. The crisis is not between Christians and Muslims but between citizens and hardship.”

The NSCIA accused foreign-backed lobbyists and separatist sympathizers abroad of using Nigeria’s insecurity for personal and political gain. According to Oloyede, these groups flood Western capitals with doctored videos, fake statistics, and fabricated figures of Christian deaths to secure asylum approvals, donor funding, and political sympathy.

“These lobbyists exploit Nigeria’s pain for profit. They spread religious persecution claims just to attract money and attention. It is not only dishonest; it is a betrayal of our nation,” he said.

He added that many of the misinformation campaigns were being sponsored by U.S.-based Christian organizations eager to rally domestic political support by painting Nigeria as a country hostile to Christianity while ignoring the equal suffering of Muslims.

The NSCIA also criticized the U.S. government for recently redesignating Nigeria as a ‘Country of Particular Concern (CPC)’ over alleged religious freedom violations.
Prof. Oloyede described the move as politically motivated and an act of cynicism meant to pressure Nigeria over its independent foreign policy. He questioned the timing of the designation, noting that it came shortly after Nigeria reaffirmed its support for the Palestinian cause and the two-state solution at the United Nations General Assembly.

“The so-called genocide narrative is being driven by far-right and pro-Israeli actors,” he said. “Their goal is to distract the world from the real genocide in Gaza and to punish Nigeria for standing with justice and international law.”

The NSCIA reiterated that Nigeria’s diplomatic relationships with countries such as China, Saudi Arabia, and others were legitimate partnerships based on mutual benefit, not religious alliances.
Prof. Oloyede reminded Western nations that Nigeria has maintained a non-aligned foreign policy since independence and will not succumb to external manipulation.

“We will not allow our international partnerships to be used as excuses for destabilisation. Our alliances are strategic, not religious,” he added.

Addressing foreign criticism of Sharia law in Nigeria, the NSCIA stressed that Sharia is fully recognized by the Nigerian Constitution alongside common law and customary law.
Oloyede noted that Sharia applies only to Muslims and does not infringe on the rights of non-Muslims.

“It is irrational for anyone to demand that Sharia must be abolished before Nigeria is accepted globally. Just as Christian marriage laws apply to Christians, Sharia applies to Muslims. This diversity is constitutional and fair,” he said.

The NSCIA reaffirmed its commitment to peace, unity, and interfaith harmony, urging both Muslims and Christians to stand together against foreign attempts to divide the nation.

“We tell our Christian brothers and sisters: you are not our enemies,” Oloyede declared. “We are joint victims of insecurity, poverty, and bad governance that target all Nigerians equally.”

He encouraged the federal government to continue engaging with the U.S. through diplomatic dialogue but insisted that any form of foreign assistance must come through partnership, not interference.

“Genuine help must come with respect and collaboration. No nation has the right to impose itself on Nigeria’s sovereignty under the pretext of religious protection,” he stated firmly.

In conclusion, the NSCIA called on the international community to reject divisive propaganda and instead support Nigeria’s internal efforts to build peace, improve security, and promote justice for all citizens regardless of faith.

“There is no Christian genocide in Nigeria,” Oloyede reiterated. “What we face is a human crisis driven by poverty, environmental degradation, and crime. The solution lies in unity and shared responsibility, not in foreign manipulation or sectarian politics.”

See Also...FG Insists No Religious Persecution in Nigeria Amid Trump’s Allegations
The NSCIA’s statement serves as a powerful reminder that Nigeria’s challenges are multifaceted, rooted in poverty, climate change, and insecurity, not religious persecution. The council’s warning to the United States reflects growing concerns about Western narratives and foreign interference that risk deepening Nigeria’s divisions instead of promoting peace.


By Primelineinfo