Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, has dismissed claims of a religious genocide against Christians in Nigeria’s South-East, asserting that the region’s violence is not rooted in faith but in criminality and self-destruction.
Reacting to recent comments by former US President Donald Trump and other foreign commentators suggesting Christians are being targeted in the region, Soludo said such narratives are “false, misleading, and dangerous.”
According to the governor, the tragic wave of killings and insecurity in parts of the South-East is largely the result of internal conflicts and the activities of armed groups who have turned their guns on their own people. “Christians are killing Christians,” he declared, stressing that the violence has no basis in religion.
Soludo argued that those behind the insecurity are exploiting ethnic and religious sentiments to justify acts of terror against innocent citizens. He noted that the perpetrators have attacked markets, schools, and churches—institutions serving the same communities they claim to defend.
The governor, who has repeatedly called for dialogue and peace in the South-East, urged foreign governments and media organizations to verify their claims before making sweeping conclusions about Nigeria’s security situation. “What is happening in the South-East is not religious persecution; it is the work of criminals who must be confronted with facts, not fiction,” he stated.
He emphasized that the solution lies in regional cooperation, youth empowerment, and stronger community engagement, not external interference or sensationalized propaganda. Soludo further called on Nigerians to reject divisive narratives that could deepen mistrust among citizens.
The governor’s comments come amid renewed international attention on alleged human rights violations in Nigeria, with Washington and other Western voices urging accountability. Soludo maintained that the real story in the South-East is one of internal healing and rebuilding, not religious warfare.
