The allegation of genocidal killings of Christians by the Islamist and Fulani terrorists, and the designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), have heated the polity of recent.
The designation has heightened tension and generated heated debate among Nigerians across religious divides, especially regarding the dire consequences that will follow the Country of Particular Concern declaration by the US-led government.
What qualifies as genocide is the killing of members of a group, causing serious bodily or mental harm, inflicting conditions calculated to bring about physical destruction, imposing measures to prevent births, and forcibly transferring children to another group.
Earlier, the Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, the Regional Chairman of the Church of Christ in all nations (COCIN) in Barking Ladi, Plateau State, visibly agonised and downcast, had called on President Trump to rescue the Christian community, which is being systematically wiped out in the area.
According to Dachomo, he conducted a mass burial for 13 victims of attacks in Rachas and Rawuru villages, where he made a video alleging that Fulani militants carried out the killings he described as a Christian genocide.
Supporting Dachomo’s accusation, Prophet Isa El-Buba, a Jos-based cleric, claimed that Christians in Plateau State are being exterminated methodically by the Islamic extremists.
El-Buba claimed Christians are killed at a rate 6.5 times higher than Muslims in the region.
The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) also raised concerns of genocide claims, describing it as an organised and sustained effort to wipe out entire communities.
Statistics have recorded that over 52,250 Christians have been killed in Nigeria by Islamist extremists since the onset of the insurgency in 2009, according to International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), while in 2025 alone, 7,087 were massacred in the first 220 days of 2025 (Jan 1 to Aug 10), averaging 30 deaths per day, while more than 7,000 lost their lives in the first seven months.
The terrorists killed 100 Christians and abducted 120 in just 76 days between August and Oct 2025.
The total deaths amounted to 56,000 from ethnic and religious violence over four years, with Christians disproportionately affected.
Similarly, the report detailed that terrorist groups have killed 32,000 Muslims between 2019 and 2022, although there were no vefiable figures of Muslim faithful killed in 2025.
However, the figure countered the claim that only Christians were victims and substantiated that Muslims are also victims of terrorism.
Budget on Terrorism
Since 2019, Nigeria has dramatically increased its defence allocations in response to escalating threats from banditry and Boko Haram.
In 2021 alone, the budget surged by 73.93% compared to the previous year, marking the most significant year-on-year jump in recent history.
Between 2023 and 2025, the country allocated ₦7.542 trillion—over half of the total ₦10.902 trillion spent across the seven years—underscoring a strategic pivot toward military modernisation and expanded operations.
Despite these investments, the security landscape remains unstable.
Allegations of mismanagement, including embezzlement of fighter jet funds during the Goodluck Jonathan administration, continue to cast a shadow over defence accountability.
Conspiracy Theory
A widely circulated conspiracy theory suggests that the United States’ recent threat to invade Nigeria over alleged genocide against Christians may be less about humanitarian concern and more about strategic ambition.
According to this narrative, the move is part of a broader geopolitical play to deepen U.S. influence in West Africa—particularly over its resources and military positioning.
Some theorists argue that the genocide narrative serves as a convenient pretext for intervention.
Nigeria’s vast oil reserves, critical minerals, and strategic access to the Gulf of Guinea make it a prime target for foreign powers.
In this view, humanitarian rhetoric serves as a mask for economic and military motives.
The emphasis on Christian persecution—especially by President Donald Trump—has led some to believe that the narrative is tailored to appeal to U.S. evangelical voters and justify aggressive foreign policy.
Critics contend this framing oversimplifies Nigeria’s complex religious and ethnic dynamics.
Others suggest that the U.S. seeks to destabilise Nigeria’s current administration to install a more Western-aligned leadership.
This theory draws parallels to interventions in Iraq and Libya, where regime change followed similar accusations of human rights abuses.
In Iraq, the 2003 invasion was justified by claims of weapons of mass destruction and human rights violations—claims later discredited.
Libya’s 2011 intervention, framed as a mission to protect civilians, resulted in the ousting of Muammar Gaddafi and years of instability.
With China and Russia expanding their footprint across Africa, some theorists claim the U.S. is eager to reassert dominance by establishing a stronger military presence in Nigeria.
They cited evidence of this ambition, alleging directives to the Pentagon to “prepare for possible action.”
This echoes the establishment of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) in 2007, which many African leaders viewed with suspicion, fearing it would militarise U.S.-Africa relations under the guise of security cooperation.
The Nigerian government has dismissed the genocide claims as misleading and inaccurate, noting that religious violence affects both Christians and Muslims and is often rooted in local conflicts rather than state policy.
Security experts warn that framing Nigeria’s crisis as a one-sided religious genocide ignores the multifaceted nature of terrorism, banditry, and ethnic tensions that fuel unrest.
Political figures, such as Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, have urged the U.S. to support Nigeria’s fight against insecurity through partnership, rather than threats. The emphasis has been on sovereignty, collaboration, and mutual respect.
Conspiracy theories like this gain traction when there’s a history of foreign intervention under humanitarian pretexts, when the narrative aligns with existing distrust of Western powers, and when domestic instability makes external threats seem plausible—especially when accountability is lacking.
Splinter Armed Groups from Boko Haram
It is appalling that Boko Haram has led to further splinter groups such as the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), other Fulani militias, including non-state actors who metamorphosed into bandit groups led by various commanders in the North-east region.
Lakurawa, a newly emerged Islamic terrorist, is affiliated with the Islamic State Sahel Province, operating primarily in Sokoto and Kebbi states, and is responsible for a wave of violent attacks in northern Nigeria.
SOS Alarm
The Save Our Soul alarm that Dachomo sounded drew the attention of the U.S and the international community, as Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, called on the American government to take urgent action.
Joining the call for rescue is Congressman Riley M. Moore, who claimed that 7,000 Nigerian Christians were murdered in 2025 alone.
The alarm by Senator Cruz provoked a quick reaction from the U.S to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern for the violations of religious freedom.
The President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government will need to respond quickly, knowing that under International Law, a country designated as a Country of Particular Concern faces diplomatic pressure, stiff sanctions, and increased scrutiny of the country’s internal affairs concerning human rights and religious freedom.
The U.S first designated Nigeria as CPC in December 2020 during President Trump’s administration, but President Joe Biden removed it from the list in 2021.
Combating Terrorism
To be removed from the list, Nigeria must effectively combat terrorism and demonstrate measurable improvements in religious freedom, human rights protections, and national security.
It should reform security leadership, prosecute perpetrators of insurgency, and also engage the U.S State Department diplomatically.
It is commendable that President Tinubu has just sworn in new service chiefs; and has challenged them to rise to the occasion to fight insurgency tooth and nail.
The Federal Government will need to strengthen inter-agency collaboration and deploy advanced surveillance to track terrorist movements, particularly in the Middle Belt and North-east.
We call for coordinated efforts to investigate attacks on Christians, Muslims, and other groups, prosecuting and punishing the perpetrators.
The list of sponsors and masterminds of terrorism that has been made available in the past should be published, and their accounts frozen. They should be starved of funds.
We firmly and unequivocally reject the notion of granting amnesty to terrorists. Such individuals—whose actions have claimed innocent lives, shattered communities, and inflicted deep psychological scars—cannot and should not be rewarded with leniency. Amnesty, by its very nature, implies forgiveness and reintegration. But how can a society move forward when justice is denied to victims and accountability is sacrificed at the altar of expediency?
Terrorists are not misguided citizens; they are perpetrators of violence, tormentors of the vulnerable, and enemies of peace. To offer them amnesty is to trivialize their crimes and betray the memory of those who suffered.
We recommend that the government seek international collaboration to cut off the arms supply to Boko Haram, ISWAP, Lakurawa, and other bandit groups.
While hailing the government’s efforts at creating Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps across the affected areas, we believe that those who have been tormented and subjected to trauma need to be compensated, rehabilitated, and resettled.
The government should enhance security around churches, mosques, and other places of worship, particularly in areas with a high risk of violence.
It should promote interfaith dialogue, as well as empower clerics to discourage extremist narratives.
