The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) have differed on the debate over genocide against Christians.
While the Sultan declared that Nigeria had not recorded any genocide of human beings, whether in a group of Christians or Muslim faithful, CAN accused the Presidency of twisting facts and misrepresenting its position on the ongoing killing of Christians across the country, insisting that what was happening in several parts of Northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt amounted to a ‘Christian genocide’.
Sultan made the declaration yesterday in Birnin Kebbi during the opening of the Northern Traditional Rulers Assembly Meeting, Kebbi 2025.
He said, “There is no way that somebody, either a Muslim or a Christian, will be killed without the knowledge of the traditional rulers of the community where such a person belongs.
“I challenged anybody in the country or even abroad on such genocide activities in Nigeria on where, who and how it happened?”
Sultan Sa’ad, however, cautioned the public against believing news disseminated by social media platforms.
According to him, most of the postings made by social media users were not true, and they had to be checked before people believed them.
He called on the federal government to regulate the activities of social media practitioners in the country as soon as possible.
But a meeting intended to foster dialogue between CAN and the Presidency has erupted into a public dispute, with CAN condemning the presidency over what it calls a “completely false” and “grossly unfair” portrayal of its position on the killings of Christians in the country.
CAN accused the Presidency of twisting facts and misrepresenting its position on the ongoing killings of Christians across the country, insisting that what is happening in several parts of Northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt amounts to a ‘Christian genocide’.
In a statement signed by its president, Archbishop Daniel Okoh yesterday, CAN said that it did not, at any point, dismiss or describe the widespread killings as a ‘so-called Christian genocide’, as claimed in a press release reportedly issued by Barr. Daniel Bwala, special adviser to the President on Media and Policy Communication.
According to the statement, the controversy followed Bwala’s visit to the CAN Secretariat at the National Christian Centre, Abuja, on Monday, during which he sought to understand CAN’s position on remarks made by United States Senator Ted Cruz, who described the persistent killings of Christians in Nigeria as a ‘Christian genocide’.
“CAN made it clear that its position on this issue has long been established and remains unchanged. Across many parts of Northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt, Christian communities have suffered repeated, organised and brutal attacks which have left thousands dead, villages destroyed and families displaced.
“These are not isolated crimes but a continuing pattern of violence that has persisted for years without justice or closure,” the CAN president said.
The Christian association expressed disappointment over the Presidency’s subsequent release titled ‘Presidency Debunks Western Christian Genocide Narrative in Dialogue with CAN Leadership’.
CAN said the report falsely suggested that Archbishop Okoh had downplayed the killings by describing them as a ‘so-called Christian genocide’.
“That portrayal is completely false and grossly unfair. The meeting was recorded by CAN’s media team, and at no point did Archbishop Okoh use such words or express such a view.
“Referring to the tragedy as a ‘so-called genocide’ trivialises the pain of countless Christians who have lost loved ones, homes and places of worship in targeted attacks,” Okoh said.
The Christian body added that during the meeting, Bishop Mike Akpami, its Director of Planning, Research and Strategy, presented verified data from www.orfa.africa showing consistent and targeted attacks on Christians across several regions of Africa, including Nigeria.
Those present at the meeting included Archbishop Daniel Okoh, President; Rev. (Dr.) Stephen Panya Baba, Vice President; Apostle (Prof.) Samson Fatokun, General Secretary; Dean Rev. Emmanuel Nicodemus Ozumba, Director of Education, Women and Youth; Dame Comfort Otera Chigbue (Esq), Director of Legal and Public Affairs; Bishop Mike Akpami, Director of Planning, Research and Strategy; Prophet Commodore Abimbola Ayuba, Director of National Issues and Social Welfare; Rev. Dr. Simon Dolly, Secretary, North Central Zone; and Dr. Victor Ivoke, Senior Special Assistant to the CAN President.
For the avoidance of doubt, CAN clarified that Rev. Dr. Uzoaku Williams, Assistant General Secretary, and Dr. Celestine Aharanwa, whose names appeared in some media reports, were not present at the meeting.
“We call on the Federal Government and security agencies to act with urgency, fairness and transparency to halt these killings and bring all perpetrators to justice.
“We also urge media professionals and government officials to speak with truth, empathy and responsibility, as careless words can deepen wounds and undermine peace,” he said.
CAN reiterated that its commitment to peace does not mean silence in the face of injustice and that truth must always guide engagement between the Church, the State and the public.
