The Federal Government has cautioned that recent Christian genocide statements from the United States on Nigeria’s security situation are inadvertently encouraging terrorists and criminal gangs to intensify attacks across the country.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, issued the warning on Wednesday in Abuja during a press briefing on the evolution of violent extremism and the clarification of claims of Christian genocide.
The remarks come after former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration redesignated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over allegations of widespread attacks on Christian communities—claims further amplified by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz.
The Nigerian government has consistently rejected the accusations, stressing that the country’s security challenges are not religiously targeted, as both Muslims and Christians have suffered casualties from extremist and criminal violence.
Akume said that before the controversial statements by U.S. officials, Nigeria had made significant progress in degrading insurgent groups, reducing them to scattered cells with limited capacity.
He noted, however, that “opportunistic violent groups are now seeking to exploit international narratives and make bold statements by attacking soft targets,” adding that such external commentary has created new incentives for criminal actions.
The SGF criticised the framing of Nigeria’s security crisis as “genocide against Christians,” describing it as misleading and unsupported by credible evidence.
“No credible international organisation has ever classified the Nigerian conflict as genocide against Christians,” Akume said. “Both Christians and Muslims have suffered equally.”
He warned that such misrepresentation fuels sectarian tensions, emboldens extremist factions, creates unnecessary diplomatic friction, and undermines Nigeria’s longstanding efforts to build constructive international security collaborations.
Akume restated that the root causes of insecurity—particularly in the North-West—are economic and criminal, driven largely by illegal mining, cattle rustling, kidnapping-for-ransom and territorial expansion by armed groups.
He insisted that Nigeria’s armed forces remain capable of handling the situation and do not require foreign troops, but rather targeted support in intelligence, surveillance technology and military equipment.
The SGF urged the U.S. government to prioritise intelligence-sharing and collaborative action instead of public declarations that distort Nigeria’s security realities.
“Our two nations have a shared responsibility to promote global stability and confront extremist threats,” he said.
Akume reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting all citizens regardless of religion, strengthening security partnerships and intensifying operations against terrorists, bandits and illegal mining syndicates.
He further called for unity among Nigerians, saying the country must speak with one voice “to confront a common enemy and completely eradicate extremist groups from our borders.”
