The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has affirmed that Christian genocide persists in Nigeria, criticising its denial by the Nigerian government as a desecration to victims.

Decrying the spate of insecurity in the country, PFN president Francis Oke recalled attacks on Christian communities in Taraba, Kaduna, Benue, Ondo, and Plateau States.

Addressing journalists in Ibadan on Friday, the cleric said, “To every honest Nigerian, there is no controversy about whether there is genocide against the church and Christians in Nigeria. Hundreds of churches have been burnt, tens of thousands of Christians massacred, and hundreds of pastors butchered.”

Mr Oke cited the killing of Deborah Samuel, stoned to death by Muslims for alleged blasphemy; the detention of Leah Sharibu since February 2018; the abduction of girls in Chibok—a community dominated by Christians in Borno—and attacks on Benue communities.

Following President Donald Trump’s threat to invade Nigeria over the alleged Christian genocide, President Bola Tinubu’s government denied it, offering to work with the U.S. government to combat insecurity.

However, the PFN president said, “It would be a desecration to the blood of these Nigerians to call it any other name. There is not a single instance of a Christian group attacking Muslims. It is always the other way round.”

Expressing confidence in the peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians, the cleric clarified that the alleged killings are perpetrated by terrorist groups like Boko Haram, ISWAP, and other similar groups.

“We are not accusing the Muslim community, get me clear. We have been living together for ages in mutual respect and harmony. It is the violent sect of Islam that is called Boko Haram and ISWAP and co. that use the name of Islam to attack churches,” he said.

Cautioning against using Nigerians’ lives for political games, Mr Oke called on Mr Tinubu to cooperate with, rather than oppose, Mr Trump’s intervention.

He said, “Now, when Donald Trump said there is genocide against the church and Christians in Nigeria, some people are complaining. There is nothing to complain about.”

Mr Oke stressed that the malaise of the current reality must be properly identified and dealt with effectively, warning against “calling a cancer a headache”.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) denied Christian genocide, saying Muslims and Christians are victims of armed criminals in Nigeria.

“There is no Christian genocide in Nigeria. No Muslim genocide. No religious intolerance. The Nigerian tragedy is that of poverty, climate change, bad governance over time, and armed criminals who kill indiscriminately while a section of the world seeks to exploit the situation,” the NSCIA said in a statement on Monday.

It added, “The ‘genocide’ claim completely collapses when confronted with reality, context, and verifiable data. @ACLEDINFO report of 2022 proves conclusively that the driver of violence in Nigeria is not anti-Christian persecution, as Muslims and people of other faiths are also affected.”