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The Christian Association of Nigeria on Wednesday said many Christian communities have suffered attacks, resulting in several loss of lives.
In a statement, CAN President, Daniel Okoh, called on security agencies to urgently arrest the spate of killings and attacks in the country.
“These realities are painful reminders of the urgent need for government and security agencies to act decisively to protect every citizen, regardless of region,” he stated.
But the Federal Government said it was false to claim that Christians were being targeted for attacks in the country.
US Senator Ted Cruz had accused Nigerian government officials of “ignoring and even facilitating the mass murder of Christians by Islamist jihadists.”
He also lamented that Nigerian Christians are being targeted and executed for their faith by Islamist terrorist groups, adding that they “are being forced to submit to sharia law and blasphemy laws across Nigeria. It is long past time to impose real costs on the Nigerian officials who facilitate these activities…”
Admitting killings in different parts of the country, CAN said: “Our concern remains that these cries for justice and protection are too often met with delay or denial.
“We therefore renew our call on government and security agencies to take urgent, transparent, and equitable action to end the killings, safeguard vulnerable Christian communities from displacement, and ensure that perpetrators face the full weight of the law.
”The pain of Christian families torn apart by violence must never be treated as mere statistics.
“Over the years, CAN and the wider Christian community have worked tirelessly to draw attention, both nationally and internationally, to the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
”The Association has established mechanisms for recording incidents of religiously motivated killings, engaged with international partners, written to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, and hosted global Christian organisations such as the World Evangelical Alliance and the Lausanne Movement.
”These sustained efforts demonstrate CAN’s consistent advocacy for justice, peace, and the protection of Christian communities under threat.”
However, a statement on Wednesday by the Information Minister, Mohammed Idris, described the claims as “ignorant, false and baseless.”
.“This is not true. This is not the reflection of what is on the ground. I mean it’s false where you say over 20,000 churches have been burned. It’s also false if you say 52,000 (Christians killed),” Idris said.
“Where did he get those numbers from? I think this is absolutely absurd. It’s not supported by any facts whatsoever. The Nigerian government rejects that.”
Idris stated that no Nigerian official or institution supports or colludes with violent extremists in any form.
“No Nigerian officials will willingly, deliberately indulge in the act of siding with violent extremists to target any particular religion in this country. This is absolutely false.”
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to religious freedom and coexistence, saying, “Nigeria is a multi-faith country, meaning that it’s a country that has multiple religions. We have Christians, we have Muslims, we even have those who don’t believe in any of these two religions. Nigeria is a very tolerant country. The government of Nigeria is committed to ensuring that there is religious freedom in this country.”
He, however, acknowledged the challenges of violent extremism that affect all Nigerians regardless of faith
“It’s unfortunate, sadly, that some of these extremists have killed a number of Christians and a number of Muslims almost everywhere where this violent extremism has support. So, it’s not true, Idris said.
“We find that to be very unfortunate. It’s despicable, it’s not right. This is absolutely false to say that there is a calculated or a deliberate attempt to kill a particular religious group; it’s not correct, and we find that really very, very unfortunate.”..
The minister reiterated that the Federal Government is reassuring its citizens and the international community that the security forces remain committed to combating terrorism and banditry in all forms, and will continue to protect every Nigerian without discrimination.
