From Musa Muhammad Kutama, Calabar
Niger Delta activist, Alhaji Mujahid Asari Dokubo, has dismissed what he described as “misleading claims” that Muslims in Nigeria are carrying out genocide against Christians, insisting that violence in the country affects people of all faiths.
Dokubo, in a strongly worded statement circulated on Monday, said the allegations of religiously targeted killings were “mischievous and politically driven,” arguing that perpetrators of violent crimes cut across religious and ethnic lines.
“If truly there is genocide against Christians in Nigeria, the government must expose the perpetrators,” he said. “Anybody can be a killer, irrespective of tribe, religion or region.”
The activist cited several past incidents which he claimed involved Christian suspects in attacks or attempted attacks on religious centres.
According to him, some of the cases include individuals arrested over attempted bombings in Abuja, Bauchi, Jos, Yenagoa, Plateau and Gombe between 2011 and 2014.
He further referenced other isolated violent incidents involving persons he alleged were Christians, insisting such examples undermine the argument of an organised, faith-based extermination of Christians.
Dokubo also pointed to cases where Christian–Christian violence occurred, including a 2012 incident in Adamawa where Igbo traders reportedly shot fellow Igbo businessmen inside a church.
He claimed that Muslims have equally been victims of deadly attacks in parts of Plateau State, including the killing of travellers in 2022 and another group heading for a wedding in 2025.
“The narrative that only Christians are being targeted is false. Both Muslims and Christians have suffered losses in this country,” he said.
Dokubo argued that framing Nigeria’s security crisis as a religious war only fuels tension and empowers extremists.
“Islam does not support fanaticism. These issues are criminal, not religious,” he added.
Nigeria has experienced a complex mix of insecurity over the years, including terrorism, banditry, communal clashes and criminal attacks, many of which are not strictly tied to religion but to land disputes, criminal networks, and socio-economic pressures.
Security agencies have repeatedly warned against using religion to interpret crimes without verified evidence, saying such narratives worsen mistrust and deepen national divisions.