Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has dismissed recent allegations from the United States suggesting that Nigeria is experiencing religious genocide, insisting that no such atrocity is occurring in his state or elsewhere in the country.
The governor, a former Catholic priest, made the remarks on Wednesday, November 19, during a consultative forum on the protection of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Forcibly Displaced Persons (FDPs) hosted by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Abuja.
Addressing the claims used by some U.S. officials to label Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” Alia stated, “In my state of Benue, we don’t have any religious, ethnic, racial, or national genocide. We don’t have that.”
While acknowledging that insecurity exists in Benue, he emphasized that it does not meet the criteria for genocide. “Do we have instances of insecurity in the state? Yes. But it is not genocide. Anyone making such claims should refer to the United Nations’ definitions,” he said.
No Jihad in Nigeria, Says Alia
Governor Alia also rejected assertions that jihadist movements are waging religious wars across Nigeria. “We do not have any jihad in Nigeria,” he declared firmly. Speaking from both his religious and political perspectives, he added, “If such a conflict existed, I would be the first to raise the alarm.”
He clarified that extremist groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP have ideological goals rooted in distorted interpretations of Islam. While Boko Haram seeks an Islamic state within Nigeria and ISWAP aspires to a broader ISIS-linked caliphate, Alia insisted, “These ambitions do not equate to an organized religious war in Benue or across the federation.”
US Allegations and Misleading Narratives
Nigeria has recently come under international scrutiny after some U.S. officials alleged targeted killings of Christians, with former President Donald Trump reportedly suggesting the deployment of American troops to protect Christian populations. Alia, however, stressed that the root causes of insecurity in Nigeria are banditry, resource conflicts, and governance challenges—not religious persecution.
Multiple investigations, including reports by the BBC, have questioned the data presented by some U.S. groups, noting that it could not be independently verified. Alia disclosed that he personally visited the American Embassy in Nigeria to counter what he described as misleading narratives about Benue.
“It’s on the record that I engaged the American ambassador to clarify that neither Nigeria, nor Benue State specifically, is experiencing genocide,” Alia said.
He concluded by reiterating that while insecurity is a real challenge, framing it as religious persecution or genocide is inaccurate and unhelpful to both national and international audiences.
