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Omokri faults U.S. talkshow host on alleged killing of Christians

Published

5 months ago

September 29, 2025

Trends Admin

Reno Omokri

Omokri faults U.S. talkshow host on alleged killing of Christians

No genocide against Christians, Omokri tells popular US tv talk show host, Maher

Former presidential aide, Mr Reno Omokri, has refuted a claim made by a popular United States (U.S.) political talk show host, Mr Bill Maher, that Christians are being targeted and killed in Nigeria.

Based on a viral video in which a man with a Nigerian accent claimed that over 500,000 Christians were killed in the country last year, Maher, a comedian who hosts the longest-running talk show in the US, Real Time with Bill Maher, asserted that a systematic genocide was happening in Nigeria.

The offensive video was circulated by international X influencers, including Radio Genoa, an anti-Islamic personality, who stokes negative sentiments against the Muslim faith.

However, Omokri, in a statement yesterday, rebutted Maher’s claim, asserting there was no basis for the assertion. He said that the claim contradicted the widely accepted figures on terrorism and violent crime deaths worldwide.

He countered, “Mr Maher ought to know that there is an apolitical global body with the mandate to report on deaths from insecurity and terrorism worldwide, and that is the Institute for Economics and Peace, which annually publishes the Global Terrorism Index, which calculates how many people were killed from terror, insecurity, war, and conflicts in the world.

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“According to the Institute’s 2024 Global Terrorism Index, a total of 8,352 people died from terror and insecurity last year. Even when you add this to the 36,000 civilians the United Nations says were killed by armed conflicts globally in the same year, you will agree with me that it is preposterous to allege that half a million Christians were killed in Nigeria last year, or Mr Maher’s more conservative figure of 100,000.”

Accusing comedian Maher, who is neither a Christian nor has visited Nigeria, of mischief and falsehood peddling, Omokri stated that the situation in Nigeria has been exaggerated.

“To be sure, we do face a challenge with insecurity in Nigeria, caused by banditry and farmer/herder clashes in the Northwest and Middle Belt, and an Islamic insurgency in the Northeast, which has largely subsided and is in its final stages,” he said.

Omokri explained that President Bola Tinubu’s administration had directly addressed the issue of insecurity in the country, noting that those responsible for terrorism and banditry are being arrested, prosecuted, and neutralised.

He recalled that Kabiru Sokoto, the mastermind behind the St. Theresa Catholic Church Christmas Day bombing on 25 December 2011 in Madalla, Niger State, which killed 37 Christians, had been convicted.

He also recalled that those responsible for the attack on St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, on 5 June 2022, have also been apprehended and are now facing prosecution.

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Omokri emphasised that over 16 notorious bandits who caused trouble for Nigerians in the Northwest and North-east, including Kachalla Ali Kawaje, Kachalla Halilu Sububu, Kachalla Damina, Kachalla Dangote, Kachalla Jafaru, Kachalla Barume, Kachalla Shehu, and Tsoho, have been neutralised.

Additionally, the former presidential aide observed that victims of terrorism and banditry included both Christians and Muslims, explaining that more of the latter had been killed as violence subsided.

He stated, “According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, ACLED, in the last decade, Nigeria has experienced the highest number of deaths from insecurity in the Northwest of the country, which is the heartland of Islam in Nigeria and the seat of the Sokoto Caliphate, the headquarters for Islamic leadership in the country.

“According to the ACLED, between 2010 and 2023, 13,485 people have died in these attacks, with the vast majority being Muslims. Bad enough. But nowhere near 500,000, or 100,000.”

Omokri explained that the initial intention of the terrorists was to spark a religious war, which was frustrated by the maturity of Christian leaders, including Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, who dissuaded Christians from retaliating against the violence on their brothers.

“The point of this treatise is simply to dispel the propaganda spread by either ignorant or mischievous persons about a genocide or regicide in Nigeria. Such a thing is the figment of the imagination of those making such wild and dangerous claims,” the former aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan said.

Omokri faults U.S. talkshow host on alleged killing of Christians

Related Topics:Christians killing Omokri U.S. talkshow

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First Daughter of Murtala Muhammed Reflects on Life Without Father, Preserving His Legacy

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27 minutes ago

February 13, 2026

Trends Admin

Aisha Muhammed Oyebode and late General Murtala Ramat Muhammed

First Daughter of Murtala Muhammed Reflects on Life Without Father, Preserving His Legacy

Aisha Muhammed Oyebode, the first daughter of late General Murtala Ramat Muhammed, has opened up about the challenges of growing up without her father, the late military head of state assassinated on February 13, 1976, and her ongoing work in philanthropy, governance, and education.

In an exclusive interview, Aisha, who is a lawyer, entrepreneur, author, activist, and philanthropist, described losing her father at age 12 as a profoundly harrowing experience. She recalled the “silence of absence” and the “noise of expectation” that followed his death, explaining that she had to grow up quickly while navigating the pressures of public scrutiny and preserving her father’s legacy.

“My father treated corruption as an emergency, not a talking point. He believed in strong leadership, discipline, clarity of purpose, and a deep commitment to Nigeria,” she said.

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Aisha also highlighted the stabilizing role of her mother, Ajoke Muhammed, who raised six children after the assassination, instilling discipline, resilience, and a focus on education.

Currently, Aisha is the Group CEO of Asset Management Group Limited and the CEO of the Murtala Muhammed Foundation (MMF), where she champions girls’ education and youth empowerment. She noted that, particularly in northern Nigeria, female primary net attendance rates are as low as 47.3–47.7%, with young women’s illiteracy reaching 70.8%.

“From our experience, the solution to girls’ education must be holistic — removing economic barriers, ensuring safety, fostering community ownership, and making education relevant to livelihoods,” she said.

She emphasized that educating girls stabilizes families and strengthens the nation, adding that the MMF Foundation has been instrumental in providing scholarships, school feeding programs, and community initiatives to enhance female education.

Reflecting on her father’s legacy, Aisha described him as a man of humility, vision, and principle, whose simple resting place in Kano reflects a life devoted to duty rather than display. She and her siblings have committed to refurbishing his grave and that of their brother Zack while carrying forward his vision through their work.

“A grave does not hold a legacy — people do. The real monument to his memory is in how we choose to live, and the kind of Nigeria we are willing to build,” she said.

Aisha’s reflections combine personal remembrance, national history, and advocacy, highlighting the enduring influence of Murtala Muhammed on his family and the nation, while underscoring the importance of education, integrity, and principled leadership in Nigeria today.

First Daughter of Murtala Muhammed Reflects on Life Without Father, Preserving His Legacy

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Anambra Police Arrest Motel Owner, Two Others Over Firearms, Drug Trafficking

Published

41 minutes ago

February 13, 2026

Trends Admin

Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga

Anambra Police Arrest Motel Owner, Two Others Over Firearms, Drug Trafficking

The Anambra State Police Command has arrested three individuals, including a motel owner, in Uke, Idemili North Local Government Area, for alleged possession of illegal firearms and involvement in illicit drug activities.

Police spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga disclosed that the suspects — Ifeanyi Ibeabuchi (39), Abdullahi Shaibu (26), and Obah Chima (18) — were apprehended by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad Awkuzu following credible intelligence.

The raid, carried out in the late hours of February 9, 2026, led to the seizure of multiple controlled substances, including Cannabis Sativa, Crystal Methamphetamine, Colos, and Mkpuru-mmiri. Authorities also recovered a Jojef pump action gun (breach number 21SA-0724) loaded with three live cartridges at the scene.

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Ikenga noted that Ibeabuchi confessed to the offenses during initial investigations, which helped law enforcement track and arrest the two other suspects.

“The Command reiterates its commitment to sustaining ongoing operations against criminal elements in the state and urges members of the public to continue providing useful information to aid policing efforts. Further developments will be communicated as the investigation progresses,” the spokesperson said.

The Anambra State Police Command has vowed to continue targeted operations against firearms and drug-related crimes, reinforcing efforts to enhance public safety in the state.

Anambra Police Arrest Motel Owner, Two Others Over Firearms, Drug Trafficking

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2 Nigerians Killed While Fighting for Russian Army in Ukraine War

Published

58 minutes ago

February 13, 2026

Trends Admin

Hamzat Kazeen Kolawole and Mbah Stephen Udoka

2 Nigerians Killed While Fighting for Russian Army in Ukraine War

Two Nigerian men have reportedly died while serving in the Russian Armed Forces during the ongoing Russia–Ukraine War in eastern Luhansk.

The deceased, Hamzat Kazeen Kolawole, 42, and Mbah Stephen Udoka, 38, were reportedly attached to the 423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment of the 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya Tank Division, according to Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence. Their bodies were discovered in late November 2025, highlighting the growing risks faced by foreign nationals recruited into Russia’s military operations.

Kolawole and Udoka reportedly signed contracts with the Russian army in the second half of 2025 — Kolawole on August 29 and Udoka on September 28. Udoka received no formal military training and was sent to the front just five days after enlistment on October 3. Kolawole also appears to have been deployed with minimal preparation, raising concerns over the treatment of foreign recruits.

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The men were killed in a drone strike while attempting to storm Ukrainian positions, and Ukrainian authorities reported that they did not engage in conventional combat before their deaths. Kolawole is survived by a wife and three children in Nigeria.

Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence has used the incident to caution foreign nationals against travelling to Russia for employment, warning that recruits may be sent into dangerous combat units with little or no training. The deaths come amid increased recruitment of foreign fighters from Africa into Russian forces, sparking concern among human rights and foreign policy observers.

This development highlights the risks associated with participation in the Ukraine conflict as a foreign mercenary and underscores the humanitarian and security issues arising from the recruitment of untrained personnel into active combat zones.