Muslim Council Accuses CAN of Treason, Foreign Propaganda Over Genocide Allegations

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has accused the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and some of their foreign allies of orchestrating what it calls a campaign of “falsehood and foreign-backed propaganda” over alleged genocide against Christians in Nigeria.

In a strongly worded statement dated October 10, 2025 (18th Rabi’ul Thani 1447 AH) and signed by Imam Haroun Muhammad Eze, the Council’s Deputy National Legal Adviser, the NSCIA described the allegations as “acts verging on treason” and “tools of foreign manipulation” aimed at destabilising the country.

> “The avalanche of refutations from patriotic Nigerians and government agencies against the baseless claim of a genocidal campaign against Christians exposes the deceit and dangerous propaganda being peddled by certain religious leaders,” the statement said.

The Council blamed what it called “agents of CAN” for Nigeria’s negative international image, accusing them of exploiting religion to attract global sympathy and financial support.

> “It is common knowledge that the negative profiling Nigeria suffers globally stems largely from the activities of certain Nigerians—now revealed as agents of CAN—who have made a big business out of self-flagellation,” it said.

According to NSCIA, these individuals “have crossed the line into actions bordering on treason” and have found in religious propaganda “an easy pathway to fame and material gain.”

While commending government agencies for debunking the genocide claims, the Council faulted what it described as the federal government’s “failure to call a spade a spade” by naming and prosecuting the alleged local originators of the falsehood.

> “Rather than merely appealing to international commentators for fairness, government should confront and expose those behind this malicious propaganda,” it said.

“Terrorism Has No Religion”

Rejecting the claim that Christians are being singled out for attacks, NSCIA cited reports from the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), both of which, it said, show that terrorists and bandits attack Nigerians irrespective of religion.

> “Importuning that terrorist groups, whose religious identities are conflated, are attacking Christians alone in Nigeria is plainly mendacious,” the Council declared.

The Council also accused the federal government of tolerating “religious imbalance” in public appointments, claiming that 62 percent of presidential appointees are Christians, despite Muslims forming the majority of the population.

It criticised President Bola Tinubu for meeting only Christian leaders during his recent visit to Plateau State, describing it as “a slight against the oppressed Muslim minority in the region.”

> “The propaganda around the Muslim/Muslim ticket is now being used to blackmail and extort the federal government, to the detriment of Muslims,” the statement warned.

NSCIA accused some CAN officials, including Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe of Makurdi Diocese and Rev. Joseph Hayab of Northern CAN, of “spreading odious lies” about the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

It also recalled that a CAN official had previously admitted that “bullets don’t look for a Christian or spare a Muslim,” yet the association continued to push the false narrative of persecution.

> “Even after that confession, CAN’s leadership persisted in promoting falsehood for political gain,” the Council lamented.

The Council further alleged that certain extremist organisations were not Islamic creations but “products of anti-Islamic forces,” citing former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s remark that “the United States created Al-Qaeda.”

It also expressed concern over what it called the “targeting of Muslims” by some government agencies, citing a National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) circular restricting cooperation between Takaful (Islamic insurance) operators and conventional insurers.

Call for Calm and National Unity

Despite its strong tone, the NSCIA reaffirmed its belief in the unity and indivisibility of Nigeria, urging citizens to resist attempts to turn religion into a weapon of division.

> “The Council strongly believes in one and indivisible Nigeria and will continue to uphold this ideal, even in the face of the greatest provocation,” the statement concluded.

The statement was shared via NSCIA’s official communication channels and reposted by Sahara Reporters on its verified X (Twitter) handle.