Senate Moves to Counter ‘False Christian Genocide’ Narrative in Nigeria

Senate to debate motion rejecting “Christian genocide” claims.
Ndume says violence affects all Nigerians, not one faith.
Lawmakers warn false narratives threaten unity, global image.

The Nigerian Senate has announced plans to debate a motion seeking to counter what it describes as a “false and dangerous narrative” portraying the country’s insecurity as a deliberate campaign of “Christian genocide.”

The motion, titled “Urgent Need to Correct Misconceptions Regarding the Purported ‘Christian Genocide’ Narrative in Nigeria and International Communities,” was sponsored by Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (Borno South) and co-sponsored by Senators Sani Musa (Niger East), Magatakarda Wamako (Sokoto North), Ibrahim Bomai (Yobe South), and Ahmed Aliyu Wadada (Nasarawa West), among others.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that according to a draft of the motion cited by SaharaReporters, the senators expressed concern over the “growing spread of misleading reports” within and outside Nigeria, suggesting that Christians were being systematically targeted and exterminated.

Ndume, while acknowledging that Christian communities have indeed suffered brutal attacks, insisted that describing the situation as a religious extermination campaign was misleading and capable of stoking sectarian hatred.

“The reality is that Nigerians of all faiths—Christians, Muslims, and even those with no religion—have suffered from the violence ravaging our country,” Ndume stated.

He argued that mischaracterising every act of terrorism or banditry as religiously motivated distorts the true nature of Nigeria’s security crisis and undermines national unity.

The Senate maintained that Nigeria’s unity, as a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation, relies heavily on responsible communication and factual reporting of events.

Lawmakers further noted with concern that some international media outlets, advocacy organisations, and religious groups have propagated the “Christian genocide” narrative without verifying the facts.

“The Senate notes that Nigeria’s security challenges—terrorism, insurgency, banditry, communal conflicts, and targeted attacks—have affected people across all religious and ethnic lines,” the motion read, warning that interpreting these crises solely through a religious lens was “unhelpful and misleading.”