Reno Omokri, a social critic and a former Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan, has condemned the claim by a popular United States political talk show host, Mr Bill Maher, that the Nigerian Christian community are being targeted and killed.

Maher stated in a viral video on social media, a clip from his show Real Time with Bill Maher, that over 500,000 killed in a Christian genocide in Nigeria last year.

Omokri wrote on X, refuting the claim, stating that there was no record of a 500,000 Christian massacre by muslims in Nigeria last year or any other year.

Omokri expressed dismay at the TV host’s statement, condemning the use of such influential platforms to distort figures and engineer propaganda.

He wrote, “Bill Maher and Radio Genoa: There Was No Massacre of 500,000 Christians By Muslims In Nigeria Last Year Or Any Other Year I watched with dismay the propaganda spread by international X influencer, Radio Genoa, who circulated a video on X by a fellow claiming that five hundred thousand Christians were killed by Muslims in Nigeria. @BillMaher, a popular American political talk show host, added to the misinformation. His show, Real Time with Bill Maher, is currently HBO’s #1 most-watched show.

“Mr Maher alleged that “they are systematically killing the Christians in Nigeria. They’ve killed over 100,000. They are literally attempting to wipe out the Christians of an entire country.”

The former Presidential Aide further explained that while the country faces insecurity, it is wrong to claim that a total of 500,000 Christians were killed in Nigeria, citing the Global Terrorism Index in 2024, published by the Institute for Economics and Peace, which recorded a total of 8,352 victims of terror and insecurity worldwide for the period.

According to the Institute for Economics and Peace, which annually publishes the Global Terrorism Index, in 2024, a total of 8,352 people died from terror and insecurity worldwide.

“Even when you add this to the 36,000 civilians the UN says died from armed conflicts globally in the same year, it is preposterous to allege that half a million Christians were killed in Nigeria last year, or Mr Maher’s more conservative figure of 100,000. We do have a challenge with insecurity in Nigeria,” Omokri explained.

Omokri further explained that according to the record gotten from Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, ACLED, in the last decade, Muslims have fallen victim to insecurity than Christians in Nigeria. 

“However, more Muslims have been killed than Christians. Per the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, ACLED, in the last decade, Nigeria witnessed the most deaths from insecurity in the Northwest, which is the heartland of Islam in Nigeria.

“According to the ACLED, between 2010 and 2023, 13,485 people died in these attacks, with the vast majority being Muslims.

“I am an Orthodox Christian, a vociferous one. In pursuit of the Christian cause, I have spoken at the U.S. Congress and met with Congressman Christopher Smith, then the Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Human Rights and International Organisations, where I provided details about the then-perilous state of Christianity in Nigeria under General Buhari.

“It used to be that most terrorism related deaths of Christians in Nigeria were perpetrated against Christians by Boko Haram, and the Islamic State – West Africa Province, ISWAP. The intent was to ignite religious war,” He wrote.

He also cited past incidents of insecurities which targeted both the Christian communities and the muslim communities.

“But when, under the direction of the Christian Association of Nigeria, of which I was a go-between between the Presidency and the then President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, Christians refused to retaliate, having been forewarned of the agenda of these groups, their agenda shifted.

“They began focusing on killing Muslims to ignite sectarian war amongst the Muslim Ummah, which failed, too. The Nigerian Government arrested, prosecuted, convicted and imprisoned the man responsible for the most dastardly crimes against Christians, an individual by the name of Kabiru Sokoto, who was the brain behind the St. Theresa Catholic church Christmas Day bombing on 25 December 2011 in Madalla, Niger State, which killed 37 Christians.

“He is still serving a life sentence in prison. Those behind the June 5, 2022, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church attack in Owo, Ondo State, have similarly been apprehended and are now being prosecuted,” Omokri concluded.

Read Also

Omokri gave an additional success recorded in the fight against insecurity, as the crisis in Nigeria has shifted from terrorism to banditry. He explained that the Nigerian government under President Bola Tinubu have killed the most notorious bandit leaders, including:

1. Kachalla Ali Kawaje

2. Kachalla Halilu Sububu

3. Kachalla Damina

4. Kachalla Dangote

5. Kachalla Jafaru

6. Kachalla Barume

7. Kachalla Shehu

8. Tsoho

9. Kachalla Yellow Mai Buhu

10. Yellow Sirajo

11. Kachalla Dan Muhammadu

12. Kachalla Makasko

13. Yellow Hassan

14. Boderi

15. Kachalla Dan Ba birki, and

16. Auta Dan Mai Jan Kai

Omokri concluded, saying, “There was never a genocide in Nigeria, except the Southern Kaduna Genocide, which was a local issue in one state, involving farmer/herder clashes, rather than Christian/Muslim conflict, of which one man, Nasir El-Rufai, the then Governor, should be held accountable. But it was a local, rather than a national issue.”