CAN Accuses Presidency of Misrepresentation, Reaffirms Killings as ‘Christian Genocide’
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has accused the Presidency of distorting its position on the continued killings of Christians across the country, insisting that the attacks in parts of Northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt amount to a “Christian genocide.”
In a statement on Tuesday, CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, faulted the Presidency’s media team for issuing what he described as a misleading account of the association’s meeting with presidential aide, Daniel Bwala.
Bwala, who serves as Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy Communication, had visited CAN’s Secretariat in Abuja on Monday to discuss U.S. Senator Ted Cruz’s recent comments describing the killings as a “Christian genocide.”
Okoh explained that CAN reaffirmed its long-standing stance that Christian communities have been targets of systematic and coordinated violence, which has left thousands dead and entire villages destroyed.
“Across many parts of Northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt, Christian communities have suffered repeated, organised and brutal attacks which have left thousands dead, villages destroyed and families displaced,” he said.
“These are not isolated crimes but a continuing pattern of violence that has persisted for years without justice or closure.”
The Christian body expressed outrage over a subsequent statement from the Presidency titled “Presidency Debunks Western Christian Genocide Narrative in Dialogue with CAN Leadership,” which suggested that Okoh dismissed the killings as a “so-called Christian genocide.”
“That portrayal is completely false and grossly unfair,” Okoh stated. “The meeting was recorded by CAN’s media team, and at no point did I use such words or express such a view. Referring to the tragedy as a ‘so-called genocide’ trivialises the pain of countless Christians who have lost loved ones, homes and places of worship in targeted attacks.”
During the meeting, CAN’s Director of Planning, Research and Strategy, Bishop Mike Akpami, presented verified data from www.orfa.africa, highlighting consistent and targeted attacks on Christians in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
Among those present at the meeting were Vice President Rev. Stephen Panya Baba, General Secretary Apostle Samson Fatokun, Director of Legal and Public Affairs Dame Comfort Otera Chigbue, and other senior officials.
CAN clarified that Rev. Dr. Uzoaku Williams and Dr. Celestine Aharanwa, listed in some reports, did not attend.
The association urged the Federal Government to act decisively to end the violence and prosecute those responsible, while calling on media professionals to “speak with truth, empathy, and responsibility.”
“We call on the Federal Government and security agencies to act with urgency, fairness and transparency to halt these killings and bring all perpetrators to justice,” Okoh said. “Our commitment to peace does not mean silence in the face of injustice.”
