…Slams Benue gov for denying Christian genocide
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Methodist Archbishop of Umuahia Diocese, Archbishop Dr. Raphael Opoko, has decried Nigeria’s attitude towards terrorists ravaging different parts of the country.
The cleric, who featured at the November edition of the Ikengaonline monthly town hall meeting, regretted that Nigeria is rather pacifying terrorists instead of frontally confronting them.
Archbishop Opoko, who was jointly featured with a Professor of African History at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA, Professor Moses Ochonu, spoke on the theme: “Alleged Genocide, Trump’s Threats, and the Propaganda against Ndigbo.”
He queried: “What do you call a situation where the country is pacifying instead of confronting bandits?“
The cleric also queried the rationality and moral justification in slamming a life imprisonment on the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, while another Federal High Court gave only a 20-year term to a Boko Haram leader after killing innocent Nigerians.
Archbishop Opoko argued that all the indices of genocide are found in the unprovoked attacks against Christian communities by Islamic fundamentalists operating variously as bandits, terrorists, or herdsmen.
He berated those in authority trying to deny or downplay the existence of genocide against Christians in Nigeria because of political interests or primordial sentiments.
“People who are in authority and responsible positions are playing to the gallery concerning the issues of Christian genocide in Nigeria. Some of them want to be diplomatic to the extent that they deny even things that are happening around them, just like the Governor of Benue State.
“Christian genocide refers to systematic, intentional persecution, violence, killing of Christians, either individually or in their groups. It involves mass killings, forced conversions, ethnic cleansing, torture, and displacement. All these indices have happened in Nigeria.
“So you can see these indices. Are they not genocide? Are they not systematic? Are they not intentional?” he asked.
Archbishop Opoko urged the Federal Government to seek external help to confront insecurity ravaging the country instead of living in denial.
He commended President Donald Trump of America for bringing the genocidal killings of Christians in Nigeria to the global stage.
“Trump’s threats have brought to the forefront of discussions everywhere all over the world the issues of Christian genocide in Nigeria. Some people want to be mild and they say it’s ‘alleged’.”
The Archbishop insisted that documentary evidence from reputable organizations confirms Christian genocide in Nigeria.
Citing some of the evidence, Archbishop Opoko urged Nigeria to admit the obvious truth and seek solutions.
“Over 7,000 Christians killed in the first eight months of 2025 according to the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law. 3,100 Christians killed and 2,830 kidnapped in 2024 as reported by Open Doors. 62,000 Nigerian Christians murdered since 2000 according to Genocide Watch.
“On attacks on churches and communities: 18,000 Christian churches and 2,200 Christian schools attacked, and over 34,000 moderate Muslims murdered by Islamic jihadists since 2009, reported by Inter-Society. 114 Nigerian Christians massacred in attacks near Jos in December 2023, with local media reports indicating a death toll of 200.
“Other specific incidents: the June 2022 attack on St. Francis Xavier Church in Owo, Ondo State, killing at least 40 people, attributed to Islamic militants; Christmas massacre in Plateau State in December 2023, killing approximately 200 people. On displacements and humanitarian crises: over 2 million people displaced due to Boko Haram insurgency and over 15 million displaced due to violence in Nigeria, mainly Christians.
“What can we call this? And just this month alone, we got reports about the abduction at a Catholic school in Niger State—more than 300 people with 12 staff. And we had a report that 50 escaped. So which means other people—about 250—are still unaccounted for. In Kebbi, 25 were abducted, and in Kwara, two people were killed in a church and 38 were abducted.”
