FFK Accuses Critics of Enabling Genocide, Says Christians Are Being Deliberately Targeted in Nigeria

Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has intensified conversations surrounding Nigeria’s insecurity, alleging that Christians across the country are being specifically targeted in a manner he describes as deliberate and alarming. His remarks, issued on Tuesday, follow a renewed surge in killings, abductions, and violent attacks carried out by armed groups in several northern states.

Fani-Kayode, a prominent political figure and strong supporter of President Bola Tinubu, criticised individuals and groups who insist that the killings are random or exaggerated. According to him, dismissing the claim that Christians are being attacked amounts to enabling genocide. He described such denials as dangerous and dishonest attempts to distort the reality on the ground.

He condemned assertions that religiously motivated killings are fabricated, calling them “a monstrous mendacity.” He further stated that anyone who denies or downplays the consistent targeting of Christians is “a perfidious propagandist, a genocide enabler, and a specious liar.” His comments echo a long-standing debate about whether religious persecution plays a role in Nigeria’s worsening security crisis.

Despite highlighting the plight of Christians, Fani-Kayode also clarified that the violence affects all faiths. He emphasised that Muslims have equally suffered devastating losses in the hands of the same criminal groups. “What must be clearly understood, however, is that Muslims are also targeted and killed by the same terrorists in equal numbers,” he said, urging Nigerians not to turn the crisis into a divisive narrative pitting one religion against another.

To support his claims, he referenced several recent incidents. Among them was the abduction of twenty five schoolgirls and the killing of a school principal in Kebbi State, where the victims were Muslims. He also mentioned the kidnapping of sixty four people in Tsafe, Zamfara State, and the killing of three others in the same region. These incidents, he said, demonstrate that the attackers show no regard for religious affiliation when carrying out their crimes.

He contrasted these with attacks he said were clearly directed at Christians, including the abduction of a Catholic priest and twelve girls in Kagarko, Kaduna State. He also cited the ambush on military personnel in Borno State, in which a Brigadier General and others were killed. According to him, the terrorists responsible are driven by a broader agenda of destabilisation and bloodshed, rather than loyalty to any faith.

“They only care about the spilling of innocent blood and the abduction of our people,” he stated, calling for urgent national and international action to tackle the escalating violence. He insisted that Nigerians must confront the truth about the attacks, rather than conceal or politicise them.

Fani-Kayode’s comments come at a time when Nigeria is under increased international scrutiny. Recent statements by some United States lawmakers have accused the Nigerian government of failing to protect Christian communities from targeted attacks. While Nigerian authorities have dismissed the allegations as inaccurate and misleading, US officials have confirmed that investigations into the claims are ongoing.

The growing debate has sparked reactions from human rights organisations, religious groups, and security analysts. Many agree that the violence is complex and driven by terrorism, banditry, and organised crime. However, opinions remain divided on whether religious identity is a central factor or one of several variables fueling the crisis.