The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), on Sunday, dismissed the allegation of Christian genocide in Nigeria, describing it as false, dangerous, and politically motivated.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the NSCIA’s Secretary-General, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, accused the Western media and political figures of trumpeting the allegation of Christian genocide as part of an alleged coordinated campaign to destabilize Nigeria.

But the President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, insisted that “There is Christian genocide in Nigeria.”

“There is no other name to call it. No Christian group is attacking Muslims. Patience of the church is being stretched,” Oke said during a visit to the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, at the weekend.

The debate comes in the wake of Nigeria’s designation as a “Country of Particular Concern” by the United States President Donald Trump.

In a series of posts on X between October 31 and November 1, Trump had condemned continued killings in Nigeria, declaring America’s readiness to send its military to Nigeria if the Federal Government failed to stop the killings by jihadist groups.

But addressing the press in Abuja on Sunday, the NSCIA maintained that the violence in parts of the country was driven by criminality, poverty, and climate-induced migration, not religious persecution.

“We affirm that in Nigeria, there is no Christian terrorism. There is no Muslim terrorism. There is no religious intolerance in Nigeria.

The Nigerian tragedy is that of poverty, climate change, bad governance over time, and armed criminals who kill indiscriminately while a section of the world seeks to exploit the situation for geopolitical profits,” Oloyede said.

The NSCIA Secretary accused some Nigerian separatist groups, foreign lobbyists, and U.S. politicians of exploiting Nigeria’s insecurity for personal or political gain.

“These groups push fabricated statistics and doctored videos to influence Western governments, particularly the United States, to take punitive actions against Nigeria,” he said.

He further alleged that the renewed U.S. designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” was “a political tool, not a reflection of facts on the ground.”

The NSCIA called on both the Nigerian government and the international community to reject the “false and destabilizing narrative,” urging President Trump to “assist Nigeria with intelligence and logistics support rather than smear campaigns.”

However, the PFN President, Oke, during his visit to the Olubadan, insisted that, “There is Christian genocide in Nigeria. There is no other name to call it. No Christian group is attacking Muslims. Patience of the church is being stretched.”

He explained that the killings were being perpetrated by extremist groups such as Boko Haram, ISWAP, and splinter cells that invoke Islam during attacks, stressing that they do not represent the wider Muslim community.

Listing the killing of Deborah Samuel, the abduction of Leah Sharibu and the Chibok girls, and attacks in Benue, Taraba, Southern Kaduna, Owo in Ondo State, Niger, and Plateau, he lamented that hundreds of Christians and pastors had been massacred.

Oke expressed appreciation to Trump for raising concerns about the plight of Christians but urged him to avoid military intervention and instead support the Nigerian government.

“Tinubu should ask for the cooperation of Trump, instead of opposing him. The President should root out radical groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP. Work together so that Nigerians can live in peace.

“The government should stand up and not play politics with it. Tinubu and the Federal Government need to cooperate with Trump to deal with this cancer,” he stressed.

According to a statement by Olubadan’s media aide, Adeola Oloko, during the meeting, Oba Ladoja also lamented decades of killings and destruction, saying the Christian community deserved to be placated.

Ladoja said, “Many people have been killed and property worth an inestimable amount of money destroyed. Multitudes of families, particularly women and children, have been displaced. Kidnappings have taken place.

“Successive administrations have spent trillions to fight insecurity. When you look at this scenario over the past 10 years, people are bound to feel aggrieved and resort to self-help.

“Former President Jonathan has tried. Former President Muhammadu Buhari has tried. President Bola Tinubu is trying. But I want to caution that terrorists don’t know the difference between Muslims and Christians.

“They see everybody as prey, while they are the predator. This is why, as the President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, a constituent of CAN, we are appealing to you to please help us placate our Christian brethren who are understandably aggrieved that these times will pass.”

The monarch said in the South-West, where he is more familiar with community dynamics, people of different religious persuasions coexist harmoniously, wondering why such unity remains elusive in other parts of the country.

However, an All Progressives Congress chieftain in Osun State, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, said on Sunday that Nigeria must not accept the deployment of foreign troops to combat terrorism.

In a statement in Osogbo, Oyintiloye warned political and religious leaders against exploiting Trump’s threat as a tool to attack President Tinubu.

Rather than politicising the matter, he urged stakeholders to rally behind the President to win the war against terrorism and violent crime.

“At this critical period, Nigerians, irrespective of political or religious affiliations, should come together to support the President and join efforts to overcome the lingering security challenges facing the country. This is not a time to play opposition politics,” he said.

He continued, “We must all come to the realization that all our hopes, aspirations and dreams to get public office rest squarely on the continued existence of Nigeria.

“Our current set of leaders will be there for a period and move on. But Nigerians must not walk into a trap that will make the country cease to exist. With the cooperation of all stakeholders, we have the capacity to end terrorism.

“Getting foreign support in terms of equipment will be good, but not the deployment of soldiers. It may complicate the situation and lead to greater problems. At this point, political, religious and community leaders must unite. What Tinubu needs at this time is the support of all Nigerians.”

He added that Trump’s threat should concern every Nigerian, stressing that killings did not begin with the Tinubu administration but had built up over many years.

He noted that no particular religion had been exclusively targeted, arguing that Muslims, Christians, and adherents of other faiths had all suffered the effects of terrorism.

While acknowledging U.S. concern over Nigeria’s security challenges, he called for intelligence sharing and the supply of military equipment to support Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts.

He cautioned opposition figures to be mindful of their remarks, saying the consequences would affect the entire country. He also urged newly appointed service chiefs to justify the confidence reposed in them and work hard to defeat terrorists.

The debate over whether Nigeria should allow foreign troops to intervene has dominated public discourse, with opinions divided.

The Tinubu administration has responded by consulting stakeholders to prevent open confrontation with the U.S. (The PUNCH)