The Nigerian Presidency has once again kicked against the Christian genocide allegations making rounds over the past few days.
The Nigerian Presidency accused United States lawmakers of allegedly fabricating and amplifying the Christian genocide allegations as retaliation for the country’s criticism of Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
The government’s position was made known by Daniel Bwala, special adviser to the president on policy communication.
Bwala dismissed the Christian genocide allegations as “Western propaganda” designed to undermine Nigeria’s global standing and internal security efforts.
Speaking in an interview on France24 TV in Paris, Bwala claimed that Nigeria’s statement delivered by Vice-President Kashim Shettima at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) led certain Western actors to peddle the Christian genocide claim.
According to him, the Christian genocide claim was a “cooked-up narrative by the West because they see that we are making gains with the economy”.
Bwala asserted: “We strongly object to the notion that there is systematic genocide in Nigeria.
We admit to the fact that there is insecurity in Nigeria, which we are dealing with.
“The reason is because… I will give you a context. At the UNGA, the Nigerian president was represented by the vice-president, and in the speech, Nigeria took a position of a two-state solution (Israeli-Palestinian conflict).
“We condemned the inhumane treatment in Gaza. Twenty-four hours later, this comedian, Bill Maher, started this campaign of Christian genocide.”
Asked if the Christian genocide claim is a result of Nigeria’s position on Gaza, he responded: “Exactly”.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that Shettima, during his address at the UNGA 80th session in New York, United States, condemned the attack on innocent civilians while calling for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Hamas conflict.
The vice president stated: “We do not believe that the sanctity of human life should be trapped in the corridors of endless debate.
“That is why we say, without stuttering and without doubt, that a two-state solution remains the most dignified path to lasting peace for the people of Palestine.”
A few days later Bill Maher, a U.S comedian and talk show host, raised the Christian genocide allegations.
Maher alleged that Christians are being systematically exterminated in Nigeria by terror groups.
The comedian claimed that over 100,000 Christians have been killed since 2009, with 18,000 churches burned, labeling it “so much more of a genocide attempt than what is going on in Gaza.”
He said: “Nigeria, the fact that this issue has not gotten on people’s radar, it’s pretty amazing.
“If you don’t know what’s going on in Nigeria, your media sources suck. You are in a bubble.
“I’m not a Christian, but they are systematically killing the Christians in Nigeria. They’ve killed over a hundred thousand since 2009. They’ve burned 18,000 churches. These are the Islamists, Boko Haram.”
The allegations were amplified after Ted Cruz, a U.S senator, proposed a bill that seeks to protect “persecuted” Christians in Nigeria.
“Officials in Nigeria are ignoring and even facilitating the mass murder of Christians by Islamist jihadists.
“It’s time to hold those responsible accountable. My Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act would target these officials with powerful sanctions and other tools,” Cruz stated.
Joining the topic, Riley Moore, a member of the U.S House of Representatives, had also asked Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, to immediately take decisive diplomatic action against the Nigerian government over the “systematic persecution and slaughter of Christians” in the country.
He stated: Nigeria is the deadliest country in the world for Christians and the world stands by silently.
“That’s why I’m urging @SecRubio to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern to unlock diplomatic levers to protect our brothers and sisters in Christ.
“Since Boko Haram’s insurgency in 2009, more than 50,000 Christians have been murdered and more than 5 million have been displaced.”
However, the Nigerian government had repeatedly dismissed the allegations, something that continues to elicit controversies as the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) recently reiterated that many Christian communities in northern Nigeria had suffered attacks in the past, calling for an end to faith-based violence.
