The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has rejected claims that Christians are being targeted for genocide in the country.
The Taraba State chapter of CAN said the killings across Nigeria are not aimed at Christians alone, describing the situation as “patternless.”
This comes after U.S. comedian and TV host Bill Maher alleged that Islamists in Nigeria have been “systematically killing Christians,” destroying thousands of churches, and trying to wipe out the Christian population.
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz also accused the Nigerian government of ignoring or helping those responsible for the killings.
He said he had introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act to impose sanctions on officials who support such violence.
Another U.S. lawmaker, Riley Moore, wrote to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging him to label Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern over alleged persecution of Christians. He also called for a halt to U.S. arms sales to Nigeria until the government takes stronger action.
However, the Nigerian Presidency has repeatedly denied that any religious war is happening in the country, saying the claims are false.
Speaking to The Guardian, CAN’s Director of National Issues and Social Welfare, Abimbola Ayuba, acknowledged that killings are ongoing but said they do not follow a specific religious pattern.
He explained that while attacks have occurred in Christian-majority areas like Benue, many Muslims have also been killed, even during prayers in mosques.
“The bullets don’t look for a Christian or spare a Muslim,” he said.
Ayuba added that some foreign groups were exaggerating Nigeria’s problems for their own interests.
He urged Nigerians to unite and fight insecurity together rather than seeking sympathy abroad.
He warned that labeling Nigeria as a country of religious persecution could harm everyone, saying, “When they place Nigeria as a country of particular concern, all of us will suffer.”