The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, has cautioned international media and advocacy teams in opposition to what it described as deceptive reviews portraying insecurity in Nigeria as religiously motivated.
The Council urged the Federal Authorities to take stronger motion in opposition to what it known as false narratives of spiritual persecution being circulated by some worldwide platforms and organizations.
In a press release signed by its Deputy Nationwide Authorized Adviser, Imam Haroun Muhammad Eze, on Friday, the NSCIA mentioned it had noticed a number of “false and exaggerated claims” suggesting that there’s a systematic marketing campaign in opposition to Christians in Nigeria.
In response to the assertion, “Council has famous the avalanche of refutations by authorities businesses, well-meaning Nigerians throughout spiritual divides, and the Nationwide Meeting of the false allegations that there’s a genocidal marketing campaign in opposition to Christians in Nigeria.”
The NSCIA counseled the Federal Authorities and different stakeholders for rejecting such reviews however mentioned their responses had not gone far sufficient to right the deceptive impressions.
“Council puzzled why the federal government couldn’t, not less than for as soon as, go the entire hog by calling a spade a spade, by talking the entire fact,” it acknowledged.
The Council maintained that insecurity within the nation impacts all residents irrespective of faith or ethnicity, insisting that terrorists and bandits don’t discriminate of their assaults.
Citing the 2023 U.S. State Division Report on Worldwide Spiritual Freedom, the NSCIA famous that “terrorists, bandits and armed felony teams goal mosques and church buildings indiscriminately.”
“Within the first half of 2025 alone, terrorists and bandits killed not less than 2,266 civilians throughout Northern Nigeria, the place Muslims are predominant, displacing over two million individuals and leaving 7.8 million in want of help,” the assertion added.
The Council additionally referenced the 2025 Annual Report of the U.S. Fee on Worldwide Spiritual Freedom, which acknowledged that each Muslims and Christians had been victims of assaults, stressing that the violence “doesn’t comply with any spiritual sample.”
NSCIA mentioned its silence within the face of provocative allegations was an illustration of its dedication to nationwide unity.
“Council needs to position on report that its determination to stay quiet regardless of assaults and insults on Muslims stems from its need to guard the company existence of Nigeria,” it added.
It additionally cited a press release by the Christian Affiliation of Nigeria’s Director of Nationwide Points and Social Welfare, who admitted that insecurity impacts everybody equally. “In the event that they open fireplace in a market, the bullets don’t search for a Christian or spare a Muslim or perhaps a child,” the CAN official was quoted as saying.
The NSCIA additional expressed concern over insurance policies it described as divisive, together with a current round by the Nationwide Insurance coverage Fee, NAICOM, limiting co-insurance between standard insurers and Takaful operators.
“This round of exclusivity, which clearly violates the Nigerian Insurance coverage Trade Reform Act (NIIRA 2025), is meant to additional create a divide between Muslims and non-Muslims within the nation,” the Council mentioned.
Reaffirming its dedication to peace and unity, the Council acknowledged that it “strongly believes in a single and indivisible Nigeria and can proceed to work to protect this splendid even within the face of provocation.”
The Council known as on the Federal Authorities to strengthen public communication and swiftly counter misinformation able to fuelling spiritual pressure.
The assertion comes amid renewed worldwide scrutiny of Nigeria’s dealing with of spiritual freedom. Some Western lawmakers and advocacy teams have accused Nigerian authorities of failing to guard Christians from focused assaults—claims the NSCIA and different native leaders have dismissed as politically motivated and indifferent from actuality.
In a associated improvement, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, throughout Thursday’s plenary, cautioned in opposition to framing Nigeria’s safety disaster alongside spiritual strains.
He famous that each Muslims and Christians have been victims of terror and banditry, warning that exterior narratives danger deepening divisions.
“Terrorists and bandits don’t discriminate by religion after they assault. The problem earlier than us is nationwide safety, not spiritual battle,” Akpabio mentioned.
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