THE National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations (NACOMYO) has condemned recent allegations of a ‘Christian genocide’ in Nigeria, describing the claims as false, provocative and reckless.
In a statement signed by its National President, Alhaji Sani Suleiman, and National Secretary General, Alhaji Masud Akintola, NACOMYO expressed concern over what it described as ‘inflammatory and dangerous distortions’ of Nigeria’s complex security realities.
The organisation asserted that such statements are part of a deliberate effort to stigmatise Islam, malign peace-loving Nigerian Muslims and threaten national unity.
According to NACOMYO, violence in Nigeria is not religiously motivated but stems from terrorism, banditry and communal resource conflicts.
The group stressed that both Christians and Muslims have been victims of these security challenges, citing independent reports, including the 2023 US State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report which confirm that extremist attacks in Nigeria are indiscriminate.
Quoting the Christian Association of Nigeria’s (CAN) Director of National Issues, Reverend Abimbola Ayuba, NACOMYO emphasised that ‘the spate of killings has not taken any particular pattern. bullets don’t look for a Christian or spare a Muslim,’ arguing that this statement alone contradicts the genocide narrative being pushed abroad.
NACOMYO rejected the figures circulated such as ‘over 100,000 Christians killed’ and ‘18,000 churches burned’, calling them ‘baseless fabrications without any credible source.’
The council warned that such exaggerations are part of a growing trend of foreign disinformation amplified by domestic actors seeking sympathy and funding by demonising Islam.
Citing verified humanitarian data, the group noted that over 2,200 civilians were killed in the first half of 2025 across Northern Nigeria, a Muslim-majority region, and more than two million people remain internally displaced regardless of their religion.
NACOMYO lamented that reducing the tragedy to a religious persecution narrative is misleading and dangerous.
The council warned against what it called attempts by Western political figures and media personalities to exploit Nigeria’s internal challenges for ulterior motives.
NACOMYO linked the surge in false genocide narratives to Nigeria’s recent support for justice in Palestine at the United Nations, suggesting that these claims are part of a retaliatory propaganda effort aimed at weakening Nigeria’s international credibility.
NACOMYO commended officials within CAN who have made balanced public comments, recognising that both Muslims and Christians are victims of Nigeria’s insecurity.
It urged CAN’s leadership to show greater restraint and patriotism in its public communications.
The statement further called on the Nigerian government to intensify its efforts in tackling insecurity and poverty, expose actors who spread disinformation and strengthen interfaith dialogue.
It also encouraged engagement with international partners to protect Nigeria’s image from malicious advocacy networks.
Reaffirming its stance, NACOMYO declared: ‘Nigeria’s crisis is not a war of religions, but a war of terror, greed and bad governance.’
The group urged Nigerian youth of all faiths not to allow themselves to be manipulated by forces seeking to divide the nation.
NACOMYO emphasised that Islam does not condone violence or hatred and that the vast majority of Nigerian Muslims remain committed to peace, justice and coexistence.