The Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Professor Ishaq O. Oloyede, says recent claims by United States President Donald Trump of Christians being persecuted in the West African nation amounted to a deliberate ploy to destabilise the country.
Oloyede, Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), spoke at a Press Conference by NSCIA on Monday, in Abuja, saying that the allegation of a Christian genocide in Nigeria was “completely unfounded” and “politically motivated.”
He explained that Trump and some American lawmakers had been misled by false narratives about Nigeria.
“We have found that there is no Christian genocide in Nigeria,” he said, noting that his country faced a complex security crisis affecting all citizens regardless of faith.
Oloyede said the terrorism in Nigeria, perpetrated by groups like Boko Haram, ISWAP, and other armed criminals, targeted both Muslims and Christians indiscriminately.
According to him, these groups were “our mortal enemies” and should not be seen as representatives of Islam.
He further alleged that some of these extremist groups had been indirectly supported or created by foreign actors, including the United States.
“It is publicly acknowledged that the United States of America created Al-Qaeda,” he said, adding that US agencies had in some cases funded Boko Haram and other terrorist networks.
The NSCIA Secretary-General also linked the sudden US focus on Nigeria to the country’s recent foreign policy stance, especially the West African giant reaffirmed its support for a two-state solution and solidarity with the Palestinian people at the 88th session of the UN General Assembly.
He accused far-right and pro-Israeli actors in the US of using the genocide narrative to deflect attention from atrocities in Gaza.
“Who benefits from the lie? There are foreign instigators, specialists of American politicians, who seek to energise their domestic evangelical base,” he said.
“We call on the President of the United States of America to retract his statement against Nigeria. And rather, assist Nigeria with credible intelligence.”
Oloyede also stressed the need for collaboration with the Nigerian government.
“If the United States is sincere, it should collaborate with the Nigerian armed forces, help them fight insurgency, grant access to equipment and other logistics, but not determine our course unilaterally,” he said.
He noted that Nigeria’s security challenges were driven by multiple factors, including climate change, poverty, mass unemployment, criminality, and the failure of governance. “This is not a religious war. Muslims and Christians alike are victims of perennial insecurity,” he said.
