The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has strongly rejected claims circulating within the United States Congress alleging a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, describing the narrative as false, misleading and dangerously simplistic.
In a press statement signed by its Secretary General, Nafiu Baba Ahmad, the Council said while Nigeria continues to battle terrorism, banditry and organized criminal violence, the crisis is not the result of any state-sponsored religious extermination agenda.
“The reduction of Nigeria’s complex security challenges to an emotive genocide narrative is not only false but dangerously irresponsible,” the Council stated.
The SCSN expressed concern that recent legislative and policy discussions in the U.S. appeared to rely on what it called sensational and unreliable data, including reports attributed to the The New York Times, allegedly sourced from individuals lacking expertise in Nigeria’s security dynamics.
The Council described as “astonishing” the reported singling out of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso in the proposed U.S. bill, questioning why the former governor and senator was specifically targeted among Nigeria’s political class.
According to the Council, Kwankwaso’s opposition to Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) may have contributed to what it termed unfair political scapegoating.
“It reflects bias, not justice,” the statement read, adding that Nigeria’s deeper crisis lies in economic decline, widespread poverty and governance failures that fuel insecurity.
The Council also condemned what it described as reckless calls for increased U.S. military bombing in Northern Nigeria, warning that foreign bombardment could trigger devastating humanitarian consequences, particularly in civilian-populated areas.
While emphasizing it is not opposed to international assistance in tackling insecurity, the SCSN said any partnership must be technical, intelligence-driven and humanitarian—not punitive or based on misinformation.
Reiterating its condemnation of terrorism and criminal violence “in Nigeria, Palestine and anywhere else in the world,” the Council stressed that both Muslims and Christians have suffered from the violence, with Northern Muslim communities experiencing significant casualties from insurgency and banditry.
The group called on the U.S. government and lawmakers to exercise restraint, due diligence and intellectual honesty, urging engagement with credible Nigerian institutions to prevent narratives that could inflame religious tensions.
“Nigeria requires sincere partnership grounded in mutual respect,” the statement concluded, “not misinformation that undermines peace and coexistence.”
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