Kaduna State-based cleric Ahmad Gumi on Wednesday said he was informed that Christians are now burning empty coffins to appear as burial and circulating the video to stage mass killings.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Mr Gumi claimed he was informed of the plot by a doctor. But he didn’t mention the name of the doctor.

Mr Gumi said, “A doctor wrote to me: “Do you know that some Middle Belt Christian groups are now staging fake mass killings. They are burying empty coffins and recording the process as if real victims were killed, just to push the narrative of a Christian genocide. This is desperation at its peak. A disgrace. Manipulating information just to provoke hatred and international sympathy? I hope it’s not true!.”

Mr Gumi has repeatedly denied targeted killings of Christians.

President of Christian Association of Nigeria in Northern Nigeria, John Hayab, was not available for comments. A call made to his mobile rang out unanswered and a message sent to his WhatsApp had yet to be replied as of the time this report was filed. 

Spokesperson for the Benue State government, Tersoo Kula, one of the states in the North Central, had yet to pick calls to his mobile seeking comment on Mr Gumi’s claim. A WhatsApp message also sent had yet to be replied as of press time.


Mr Gumi’s claim followed global outrage on alleged Christian genocide in Nigeria, a campaign led by American lawmakers including Ted Cruz, Riley Moore, Nancy Mace and others.

In a post on Truth Social in October, American President Donald Trump said “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” — But that is the least of it.’’

In a follow-up post on Truth, Mr Trump threatened to deploy troops in Nigeria against terrorists allegedly targeting Nigerian Christians if Mr Tinubu government failed to act fast to tackle the alleged killings.