CISA Refutes U.S. Genocide Claims, Says Terrorism in Nigeria Targets All Faiths Alike
Story written by Uzuh Rita October 8,2025
The Citizens Initiative for Safety Awareness (CISA) has strongly rejected claims by some Western groups and members of the U.S. Congress describing Nigeria’s security challenges as a religious genocide against Christians.
In a statement released Wednesday in Abuja, CISA’s National Coordinator, Chidi Omeje, said such allegations were “misleading and dangerous,” warning that they could undermine Nigeria’s ongoing counterterrorism and anti-banditry operations.
Omeje emphasized that the country’s security crisis is driven by criminality, extremism, and territorial control, not religion.
“The same insurgents attacking churches have also bombed mosques, ambushed Muslim travelers, and killed thousands of innocent Nigerians from all regions and faiths. Terrorism in Nigeria is a national tragedy, not a religious war,” Omeje said.
He cautioned that labeling Nigeria as a country persecuting Christians could lead to its redesignation by Washington as a “Country of Particular Concern (CPC)”, which might harm security cooperation and disrupt arms sales vital to Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts.
Omeje called on the international community to rely on verified intelligence and credible security data rather than politically motivated reports, adding that the U.S. Embassy in Abuja has never described Nigeria’s conflict as religious genocide.
He reaffirmed that Nigeria’s war against terrorism is for the safety and unity of all citizens — irrespective of faith or ethnicity — and appealed for constructive support from global partners instead of narratives that stigmatize the country.
