All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Farouk Aliyu, has dismissed claims that Nigeria faces a Christian genocide or is drifting toward a one-party state, insisting the country’s security crisis is criminal, not religious, and that anti-graft agencies are not being weaponised for political ends.
In an interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday, Aliyu responded to comments by United States Congressman Riley Moore following a fact-finding visit to Nigeria, arguing that Washington’s classification of Nigeria is beyond the country’s control and should not define its internal assessment of insecurity.
“Whether Nigeria is afraid not to be classified, this is absolutely the prerogative of the United States of America. We are a country, a sovereign nation. So we cannot determine how America perceives us.”
Aliyu said Nigeria should not be pressured or distracted by external narratives, stressing that even powerful allies such as Saudi Arabia have remained on similar US watchlists for years without their sovereignty being diminished. “We are not as strong as the US We are not competing with them. We cannot match them in terms of what they want. To me personally, I’m not speaking on behalf of the government. They are a bully, really.”
He criticised the conclusion that violence in Nigeria amounts to a targeted religious genocide, describing such claims as a misrepresentation of a broader security breakdown that affects Muslims and Christians alike. “It is absolutely not true that there is genocide against the Christians. Whether Christians are being killed in this country is true. Whether Muslims are being killed in this country is true. So there is no deliberate effort by either groups in this country to kill one another.”
According to him, killings across the country are the result of banditry, extremism and criminal violence, not an organised religious agenda. “This mayhem affects all of us. And unfortunately, there are people who would kill and say ‘Allahu Akbar’. In reality, it’s against Islam. So we should look at ourselves.”
Aliyu said Nigeria must confront its internal failures honestly, rather than framing insecurity as an international conspiracy or purely religious conflict. “Whatever their report will be, the problem is in Nigeria. So we as a people need to look at ourselves in the eyes. The government needs to be up and about. The government needs to take it seriously.”
He emphasised that the loss of life, regardless of religion, must be acknowledged without politicisation. “Life is a life. And life of a Christian is a life. And life of a Muslim is a life. Whether there are killings in this country, yes, there are killings.”
Addressing accusations by opposition parties that the APC is pushing Nigeria toward a one-party state by weaponising institutions such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the police, he dismissed the claims as speculative and unsupported. “About the one-party state, it’s really very subjective. It’s not part of the plan. Absolutely no question.”
He insisted there is no evidence that anti-corruption agencies are being used to coerce politicians into joining the ruling party. “There is no evidence whatsoever to show that we are weaponising EFCC against anybody in this country.”
Aliyu argued that investigations and prosecutions must be based on allegations and evidence, regardless of political affiliation. “If anybody talks about being victimised or weaponised, the question you should put to them, are there grounds? Is it true? Are there allegations?”
He noted that members of the ruling party have also faced prosecution, countering claims of selective justice. “There are senior members of this party that have been prosecuted, some former ministers. They’re in court. The case is in court. So what do you want us to do? The EFCC will have to do their work every day.”
On claims by Christian organisations that killings amount to genocide, Aliyu explained that while violence is real and tragic, it does not meet the definition of genocide. “If you look at the meaning of genocide, in this country, there is no deliberate effort by either the Christian militia, if they are, or the Muslim militia, if they are, to deliberately go after Christians or Muslims because of their religion.”
He concluded that Nigeria’s crisis should be addressed as a national emergency driven by criminal actors, not exploited to deepen religious or political divisions. “These are bandits. These are criminals. These are killing people. And no sensible Muslim should be able to kill any other person.”
Erizia Rubyjeana
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