Clerics Split Over Christian Genocide, Killings in Nigeria

…Abioye Insists Christians are Targets after Vatican, Others Hold Conflict Not Religious.

By Yinka Giwa
Bishop David Abioye, Founder and General Overseer of the Living Word Conquerors Global Assembly, has reignited debate over alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria, declaring that “a genocide against Christians is ongoing, especially in the northern parts of the country.”

Speaking during his church’s end-of-month prayer session in Lagos on Sunday, Abioye said while killings occur for different reasons across the country, “Christians are being targeted because of their faith.”

In a video now trending on social media, the fiery cleric accused some church leaders of “selling propaganda that there is no genocide,” insisting that evidence of targeted killings was overwhelming.

“There’s a lot of distortion going on—people claiming there is no genocide of Christians in the nation,” Abioye said. “Information with facts can never be thwarted. You see people buried in hundreds and you say there is no genocide. What a wicked set of people.”

He added: “Agreed, there are other people being killed in other places for other reasons, but this one is very clear. And gradually it is eating down to the South. Many so-called leaders, for their personal interests, are claiming it’s not true, selling out their faith if they have it at all.”

Abioye’s remarks echo those of a Plateau-based cleric who, in a separate video last week, accused the Federal Government of covering up what he described as “deliberate efforts by fundamentalist groups to wipe out Christians” in the North-Central region.

However, not all church leaders agree with this characterisation. At an event in Rome last Tuesday, Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, downplayed the religious framing of Nigeria’s insecurity, saying most attacks stemmed from “social causes” such as farmer-herder clashes, poverty, and competition for land.

“We should also recognise that many Muslims in Nigeria are themselves victims of this same intolerance,” Parolin said on the sidelines of the presentation of Aid to the Church in Need’s report on religious freedom. “These are extremist groups that make no distinctions in pursuing their goals. They use violence against anyone they see as an opponent.”

Similarly, Bishop John Bakeni of the Diocese of Maiduguri, speaking at a parallel event in the UK Parliament, described Nigeria’s violence as “complex,” citing economic and environmental factors. While acknowledging that some attacks bore “a clear religious dimension,” he cautioned against oversimplifying the conflict.

“The attacks on churches, priests, and Christian symbols cannot be ignored,” Bakeni said. “But poverty, climate change, and competition for land are also significant drivers.”

Meanwhile, the Federal Government continues to reject claims of a Christian genocide. Following a recent meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Rome, Massad Boulos, Senior Adviser to former U.S. President Donald Trump for Arab and African Affairs, said extremists were “killing more Muslims than Christians” and pledged continued U.S. cooperation with Nigeria to tackle terrorism.

Observers note that the conflicting positions among Nigerian and global church leaders underscore the deep divisions over how to interpret the country’s security crisis. While some see a faith-based war, others argue that religion is being weaponised to explain what is largely a struggle over land, power, and survival.