"Social media influencers, public figures and local and international faith-based organizations are amplifying claims of a "Christian genocide" in Nigeria. They point to the wave of attacks on churches and Christian communities across the central and northern parts of the country. In one instance, US senator Ted Cruz said on X that Nigerian officials are ignoring and enabling "the mass murder of Christians by Islamist jihadists." Cruz even introduced a bill aimed at sanctioning Nigeria for the persecution of Christians."
"The Nigerian government denies the claims. Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris admits that Nigeria has security problems but the claims of a "deliberate, systematic attack on Christians is inaccurate and harmful." Security, especiallin in the predominantly Muslim north of the country has been deteriorating for years. Some 10,000 people have been killed and hundreds abducted since Bola Tinubu became Nigeria's president in mid-2023. The violence has pushed as many as 3 million people out of their homes."
Claims of a 'Christian genocide' in Nigeria have spread on social media and among public figures, citing attacks on churches and Christian communities in central and northern regions. Political figures have called for sanctions while the government denies a deliberate campaign, acknowledging security challenges. Since mid-2023, around 10,000 people have been killed, hundreds kidnapped, and about 3 million displaced. Violence is concentrated in Benue, Plateau and parts of the north and Middle Belt. Armed groups have attacked civilians and infrastructure. Analysts and survivors attribute the violence to overlapping drivers: insurgency, criminal gangs, land and communal disputes, climate stress, poverty and weak governance.
Read at www.dw.com
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