Lai Mohammed Rejects Christian Genocide Claims, Says Boko Haram Kills More Muslims

Lai Mohammed Rejects Christian Genocide Claims, Says Boko Haram Kills More Muslims

Former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has dismissed allegations of a Christian genocide in Nigeria, insisting that insurgent groups such as Boko Haram have killed more Muslims than Christians in their attacks across the country.

Mohammed made the remarks in the United Kingdom during a question-and-answer session with students of Abbey College, Cambridge, where he spoke on governance, insecurity, and youth participation in Nigeria’s political development.

Responding to questions on religious violence, Mohammed said suggestions that Christians are being systematically targeted in Nigeria were “false” and misleading. He argued that Nigeria’s security challenges are complex and should not be reduced to a single religious narrative. “There should be more understanding on the part of the developed world. People say there is religious persecution in Nigeria and genocide against Christians. It’s not true. It is fake news,” he said.

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The former minister explained that the terrorist group Boko Haram initially emerged as a radical movement opposing Western education, noting that its early victims were largely Muslims. He said the group originally targeted those it considered opposed to its ideology, adding that “at the beginning, the victims of Boko Haram were largely Muslims, not Christians.” According to him, the group’s name reflects its ideology, loosely meaning opposition to Western education.

Mohammed also addressed insecurity linked to banditry, describing it as a criminal enterprise rather than a religious conflict. He said many of the attackers and victims belong to the same ethnic and religious groups, particularly in northern Nigeria. “The bandits are Muslims, they are Hausa-Fulanis. Their victims are Muslims. So how can you say it is about religion? It has nothing to do with religion,” he said.

He further argued that Nigeria has a strong tradition of religious tolerance, stating that ordinary citizens are more concerned about economic survival than religious differences. “In Nigeria, the average Muslim and Christian only disagree over money, not theology,” he said, adding that interfaith marriages are common across the country.

Mohammed urged stronger communication efforts to challenge what he described as misleading international narratives about religious conflict in Nigeria.

Nigeria continues to battle insecurity involving Boko Haram, ISWAP insurgents, armed banditry, and communal clashes across several regions. While religious identity is sometimes present in these conflicts, analysts often describe the violence as multi-dimensional, driven by terrorism, poverty, and criminal networks.

The federal government has consistently denied claims of state-sponsored religious persecution, insisting that security forces are engaged in combating terrorism and protecting all citizens regardless of faith.

Lai Mohammed Rejects Christian Genocide Claims, Says Boko Haram Kills More Muslims