Ex-British Council Chief: Insecurity in Nigeria Affects All, More Muslims Than Christians Killed
Former British diplomat and ex-director of the British Council in Abuja, David Roberts, has dismissed claims that Nigeria is witnessing a genocide against Christians, arguing instead that insecurity cuts across religious lines and has claimed more Muslim lives than Christian ones.
Speaking in an interview reported by Arise News, Roberts said the violence often attributed to religious persecution is in fact a product of wider instability in the Sahel region, which has spilled over into Nigeria’s north.
He pointed to data from the Global Terrorism Index, which suggests that terrorist-related violence in Nigeria disproportionately affects Muslim communities, given that the epicentres of attacks—the North-East and North-West—are largely Muslim-majority areas.
Roberts emphasized that while Christians have undeniably been victims of deadly attacks, framing the crisis as a one-sided religious war distorts reality and risks inflaming tensions further.
“The truth is that insecurity affects all Nigerians,” he said, adding that simplistic narratives of Christian genocide overlook the far greater numbers of Muslims who have also been killed by terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP.
He linked Nigeria’s security challenges to political instability across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, noting that the collapse of governance in those countries has emboldened armed groups whose activities are spilling into Nigerian territory.
According to him, this regional dimension explains why northern Nigeria bears the heaviest burden of terrorist attacks.
Roberts also cautioned against exaggerated reporting in Western media, warning that framing the violence as a religious genocide could not only mislead international audiences but also worsen instability at home.
“Exaggerated claims risk triggering unintended consequences, including refugee flows and heightened conflict,” he said.
His remarks come amid growing debate over the scale and nature of violence in Nigeria, with advocacy groups and international organisations often highlighting the plight of Christian communities.
Roberts’ intervention, however, underscores a broader reality: that terrorism and insecurity continue to exact a heavy toll on Nigerians of all faiths.
