The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs Condemns U.S. Designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern”
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has strongly condemned the decision by the U.S. government under former President Donald Trump to label Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) over alleged persecution of Christians. This move, according to NSCIA, is not rooted in religious issues but rather in a broader narrative that fails to address the real causes of insecurity in the country.
At an expanded general-purpose committee meeting of all Islamic organizations across Nigeria, Secretary General Prof. Ishaq Oloyede addressed journalists in Abuja and criticized the U.S. approach. He urged the American government to support Nigeria in fighting insecurity instead of interfering with its internal affairs. Oloyede described the designation as unjust, biased, and based on a one-sided narrative.
He emphasized that the claims of a Christian genocide in Nigeria are false and dangerous, suggesting they are part of a coordinated foreign agenda aimed at destabilizing the nation. According to Oloyede, Nigeria’s insecurity stems from ethnic, political, and economic challenges rather than religion. Both Muslims and Christians have suffered from violence, he said, and the focus should be on peace, dialogue, and cooperation among all groups.
A Call for National Unity and Security
Oloyede also called on the Federal Government to take firm action against insecurity. He highlighted factors such as poverty, mass unemployment, drug abuse, porous borders, and the proliferation of weapons as key drivers of the crisis. Additionally, criminal syndicates involved in illegal artisanal mining create ungoverned spaces where violence thrives.
“This is organized crime for resources. It is not Islamic,” Oloyede stated. He cited the U.S. Department of State’s 2022 report on International Religious Freedom, which confirmed that these bandits are criminals, not religious extremists. In Sokoto, Muslims have lost thousands of lives to the same bandits who kill indiscriminately, he added.
NSCIA accused some U.S. politicians, evangelical groups, and Nigerian separatists of spreading misleading claims to influence American domestic politics and undermine Nigeria’s unity. Oloyede argued that the re-imposition of the CPC designation is not based on new facts but is a political tool used by lobbyists to cheapen the concept of religious freedom.
A Misleading Narrative
Oloyede pointed out that the narrative of a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria is a dangerous script authored by Islamophobic and unpatriotic Nigerians. He explained that the U.S. President’s labeling of Nigeria as “disgraced” was concerning because an ally aiming to assist in combating terrorism would offer collaboration, not derogatory language.
While countries like China, Saudi Arabia, and Myanmar have also been designated as CPCs, the current context suggests a pretext to destabilize Nigeria. Oloyede reiterated that there is no “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, citing international legal definitions of genocide. According to the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and the Rome Statute, the crime requires a specific intent to destroy a group, which does not exist in Nigeria.
A Complex Security Crisis
Oloyede stressed that what Nigeria faces is a complex and tragic security crisis affecting all citizens regardless of faith or ethnicity. From Katsina to Borno, Benue to Plateau, and Kaduna to Kwara, the country suffers from gruesome violence against both Muslims and Christians.
Non-partisan experts and organizations like Amnesty International have refuted the notion of a religiously motivated conflict. Isa Sunusi, Director of Amnesty’s Nigeria programme, noted that there is no evidence of a religious motivation to characterize the violence as genocide. Similarly, researchers like Samuel Malik have stated that there is no credible evidence of a state-led campaign to exterminate Christians.
The Role of Non-Religious Factors
Oloyede clarified that while figures like President Trump and Senator Cruz blame “Radical Islamists” and “Islamist Jihadists” for the violence, the reality is that groups like ISWAP and Boko Haram are khawarij (deviants) whose ideology targets anyone who does not join them. These groups kill both Muslims and Christians, demolishing mosques and churches without distinction.
He also revealed that some terrorist groups labeled as “Islamic” are actually creations of non-Muslims. For instance, it is publicly acknowledged that the United States created Al-Qaeda, which is projected as Islamic. Furthermore, a U.S. Congressman testified that USAID was financing the activities of Boko Haram and other terrorist groups in Nigeria.
Ecological and Criminal Drivers
Oloyede outlined two main drivers of the violence: ecological and criminal. Desertification and drought, exacerbated by climate change, have led to the degradation of pastures and water sources in the Sahelian belt. This has forced herders to migrate southward, leading to violent competition with farming communities over dwindling resources.
The second driver is criminality, fueled by poverty, youth unemployment, drug abuse, and the proliferation of small arms. Illicit artisanal mining creates ungoverned spaces for criminal syndicates, who sack villages and displace populations. In Zamfara, Katsina, and Sokoto, Muslims have lost more than 1,200 lives to the same bandits, who are driven by crime, not tribe or faith.
A Failure of Governance
Finally, Oloyede emphasized that long-term governance failures have enabled violence in Nigeria. Studies show that corruption, lack of accountability, and failure to provide basic security have created a vacuum for impunity. When the state fails to protect its citizens, criminals and militias thrive.
This is not a state-sponsored “genocide” but a “massive state failure,” as some have called it. Oloyede concluded that the real issue is not religion but a complex web of socio-economic and ecological challenges that require comprehensive solutions.
