CAN accuses presidency of twisting its stance on Christian killings, saying the government’s statement was false and insensitive

CAN has accuses presidency of twisting its stance on the alleged Christian genocide in Nigeria, calling a statement issued after a meeting with presidential aide Daniel Bwala “false, misleading, and insensitive.”

Also read: Senate Dismisses Christian Genocide Claim

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said the Presidency’s version of its meeting gave a wrong impression that the group dismissed reports of Christian persecution — a claim it described as “completely untrue and unfair.”

Reacting on Arise TV, Bwala maintained that there was no Christian genocide under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, insisting the data relied upon by CAN was outdated.

The controversy stemmed from Bwala’s visit to CAN’s headquarters in Abuja on October 20. After the meeting, a Presidency statement titled “Presidency Debunks Western Christian Genocide Narrative in Dialogue with CAN Leadership” circulated online, quoting CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, as allegedly describing the crisis as a “so-called genocide.”

Archbishop Okoh countered that the report was a deliberate distortion meant to downplay the suffering of thousands of Christians attacked across Nigeria.

“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,” Okoh said. He maintained that CAN’s position was based on verified data from the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA), showing clear evidence of systematic persecution.

CAN accused the Presidency of trying to blunt international scrutiny by twisting its remarks, warning that “careless statements could deepen wounds and undermine peace.” It urged the government to act decisively and transparently to stop the killings and prosecute offenders.

Meanwhile, the Presidency stood by its denial. Bwala faulted the ORFA report as methodologically weak, arguing that both Christians and Muslims had suffered from insecurity.

“How can you, in all honesty, use a proportional report to establish genocide?” Bwala queried, noting that even the report’s authors never used the term “genocide.”

He dismissed U.S. Senator Ted Cruz’s comment describing Nigeria as a site of Christian genocide as “politically motivated and detached from verified facts.”

Elsewhere, the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, and Catholic Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah also rejected claims of genocide. Both leaders urged restraint, warning that divisive narratives could damage national unity.

Speaking in Birnin Kebbi, the Sultan said such allegations were “false and destabilising,” while Bishop Kukah, at an event in the Vatican, stressed that despite persistent insecurity, the Tinubu government had shown “genuine signs of inclusion” that should be encouraged.

Kukah said, “The last eight years marked the worst phase of interfaith relations in Nigeria. But the new government’s steps toward inclusion are restoring confidence.”

Both clerics called for unity, dialogue, and rejection of incendiary rhetoric as Nigeria seeks to heal from years of religious tension.