The Senior Adviser to former United States President Donald Trump on Arab and African Affairs, Mr. Massad Boulos, has dismissed claims of a coordinated genocide against Christians in Nigeria, saying that terrorists have killed more Muslims than Christians in the country.
Boulos stated this on Friday during a courtesy visit to President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to him, terrorism in Nigeria is not a religiously motivated war but a national tragedy that affects people across ethnic and religious lines.
“Those who know the terrain well know that terrorism has no colour, no religion, and no tribe,” Boulos said. “People of all religions and all tribes are dying as a result of terrorist acts, and it’s very unfortunate.”
He emphasized that Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) have killed more Muslims than Christians, contradicting reports suggesting that Christians are being systematically targeted.
“We even know that Boko Haram and ISIS are killing more Muslims than Christians. People from all sorts of backgrounds are suffering. This is not specifically targeted at one group or the other,” he explained.
The U.S. envoy’s comments come amid renewed pressure from some U.S. lawmakers urging the White House to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) over alleged persecution of Christians.
However, Boulos maintained that Nigeria’s insecurity should not be framed as a religious war, describing the nation as a “melting pot” of diverse faiths and ethnicities with a nearly even Christian–Muslim population.
“Nigeria has never been a place where religion should divide people. This has never been a serious religious issue and should not be,” he added.
He acknowledged the Tinubu administration’s recent efforts to tackle insecurity, noting that the United States government was impressed by some of the progress recorded in recent months.
“The U.S. welcomes the recent steps taken by your administration to address insecurity. We will continue to work together in partnership to end terrorism,” he assured.
Boulos also pointed out that while the Middle Belt region has witnessed deadly farmer–herder clashes, the violence has affected both Muslims and Christians alike.
“Yes, many farmers affected in the Middle Belt are Christians, but we cannot say the violence is targeted at any specific group,” he clarified.
His remarks echo recent statements by the Ulama Forum in Nigeria, which also dismissed allegations of a systematic genocide against Christians, describing such claims as politically motivated and unsubstantiated.
The Nigerian government had earlier debunked reports suggesting that Christians were being deliberately targeted, insisting that terrorist attacks in the country affect all citizens regardless of faith or ethnicity.
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