The Federal Government has firmly denied recent assertions by some international forums and internet commenters that terrorists operating in Nigeria are conducting a systematic genocide against Christians.
In a statement made on Sunday by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, the administration characterized the assertions as “false, baseless, despicable, and divisive,” claiming that they distort the country’s complicated security concerns.
According to the minister, framing Nigeria’s war against terrorism as a targeted effort against a certain religious group simplifies the problem and risks inciting ethnic and religious discord.
“The violent activities of terrorist groups are not confined to any religious or ethnic community. Muslims, Christians, and even those who do not identify with any faith have suffered at their hands,” Idris said.
The minister highlighted recent accomplishments in the battle against terrorism, revealing that between May 2023 and February 2025, over 13,500 terrorists and criminals were neutralized, and approximately 10,000 hostages were freed during military operations across the country.
He also stated that the top leadership of ANSARU, Nigeria’s Al-Qaeda affiliate, was apprehended last month in a concerted counterterrorism operation.
“These feats expose as unfounded the notion that Nigeria is passively tolerating religiously motivated terrorism,” the minister added.
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Idris stressed Nigeria’s inclusive leadership structure, stating that both Christians and Muslims hold high-ranking posts in the Armed Forces and Police.
He also highlighted Nigeria’s global reputation for interfaith peacebuilding, citing the recent Commonwealth Peace Prize given to Rev. Dr. James Movel Wuye and Imam Dr. Muhammad Nurayn Ashafa for their decades-long efforts to promote interfaith communication.
The minister restated the government’s commitment under President Bola Tinubu to protecting all citizens, regardless of faith or ethnicity, and to achieving justice through the ongoing prosecution of Boko Haram and other terrorist suspects.
“The Nigerian story is not one of religious genocide or persecution, but of resilience, diversity, and peaceful coexistence,” Idris stressed.
He charged the international media and commentators to act responsibly, avoid sensationalism, and support Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
