Federal Commissioner of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Hon. Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma, has asked the Federal Government to respond more robustly to allegations of genocide against Nigeria.
He therefore called for stronger diplomatic engagement with the United States Congress to counter what he described as “false and misleading narratives.”
Speaking during a TVC programme, This Morning’s live television interview, Agbonayinma faulted claims suggesting that the Nigerian government was complicit in mass killings, stressing that the ongoing crisis in parts of the country had affected both Christians and Muslims.
“I do not believe the government is involved in any genocide. That is far from the truth,” he said. “Yes, people have been killed—Christians have been killed, Muslims have been killed—but to generalise that the Nigerian government is behind such acts is false and dangerous,” he said.
Agbonayinma expressed disappointment over what he termed one-sided presentations made before members of the U.S. Congress, particularly Senator Ted Cruz and Congressman Christopher Smith, and urged Nigerian diplomats to rise to the task of defending the country’s image.
“Do we even have the right people in Washington, D.C.? What is our Foreign Affairs Ministry doing?” he queried. “I remember meeting with Congressman Christopher Smith, the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. He asked me, ‘Do you have an ambassador here?’ and I was shocked. That tells you the kind of diplomatic gap we have allowed to exist,” he said.
The former federal lawmaker recalled his past collaboration with members of the U.S. Congress to develop a Nigeria–U.S. Congressional Agenda aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and improving understanding between both nations.
“That document was approved by the United States Congress. It was designed to help both countries work together on security, education, and development,” he explained. “But we failed to follow it through. Now, those presenting distorted stories abroad are filling the gap we left.”
Agbonayinma, who sympathised with families of victims of violence across the country, cautioned against using religion to divide Nigerians.
“No one should rejoice over the loss of lives. Every soul matters,” he said. “Whether it is a Christian or a Muslim, a child or a woman, it is painful. However, we must not allow outsiders to divide us. We are one family—one Nigeria.
“We have the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), and Muslim leaders. They must come together to address this issue,” he urged. “If this country collapses, it affects everyone—Christians, Muslims, rich, and poor alike,” he said.
The CCB Commissioner also emphasised the need for justice, saying those responsible for violence must be punished regardless of status or faith.
“Anyone found guilty of committing these atrocities must be brought to book,” he declared. “That is what justice means. That is what the United States itself stands for.
“We must tell our story ourselves,” he warned. “Others have already told theirs. If we remain silent, falsehood will become truth. It is time for the Nigerian government to engage diplomatically and set the record straight,” Agbonayinma added.
