The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed allegations that Christians are being targeted and killed in Nigeria, describing the claims as “politics taken too far.”
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Wike alleged that the opposition was behind the genocide narrative, insisting that such claims were politically motivated.
“It is very obvious,” Wike said. “The problem we have today is that the President’s political style has weakened the opposition. They have seen that no party is currently ready to challenge his return to power, so they are resorting to divisive tactics.”
He added that accusing the administration of President Bola Tinubu of supporting genocide against Christians was an unfair and dangerous move.
“It is an indictment that a government I am serving in would be accused of backing genocide or the killing of Christians,” he stated. “The Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the DSS, and the Chief of Defence Staff are all Christians. How can any rational person believe we would support the killing of our own people?”
Wike emphasized that the killing of Nigerians in any part of the country should not be politicized, noting that such tragedies bring no joy to any sincere leader.
The minister’s remarks come amid heightened global attention following U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent comments on the situation in Nigeria. Over the weekend, Trump threatened possible U.S. military action if the Nigerian government fails to address what he described as “mass killings of Christians.”
Asked to react to Trump’s remarks, Wike said the U.S. president may have been misinformed.
“There could be some misinformation or distortion. It’s unfortunate,” he said.
The federal government has not issued an official statement on Trump’s threats as of the time of this report.
