The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has denied claims that it downplayed or dismissed reports of a “Christian genocide” in the country, insisting that the persistent violence targeting Christian communities amounts to a deliberate and coordinated campaign of extermination.
In a statement released on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, the association sought to clarify what it described as misleading narratives surrounding the visit of Barrister Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Policy Communication, to its national secretariat at the Christian Centre, Abuja, on October 20.
According to CAN, Bwala’s visit was intended to engage with its leadership on the association’s stance following recent comments by United States Senator Ted Cruz, who had characterised the killings of Christians in Nigeria as a “Christian genocide.”
During the meeting, Bwala was said to have acknowledged the widespread insecurity affecting both Christians and Muslims while assuring that the Tinubu administration was working to resolve the crisis inherited from previous governments.
However, CAN expressed surprise over a press statement purportedly issued by Bwala after the meeting, titled “Presidency Debunks Western Christian Genocide Narrative in Dialogue with CAN Leadership.”
The association described the document as misleading, alleging it falsely claimed that CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, had dismissed the ongoing attacks as a “so-called Christian genocide.”
“The portrayal is completely false and grossly unfair,” CAN declared. “At no point did Archbishop Okoh use such language or express such an opinion.
”Referring to the tragedy as a ‘so-called genocide’ trivialises the anguish of countless Christians who have lost family members, homes, and places of worship to targeted violence.”
Reiterating its long-held position, CAN emphasised that Christian communities particularly in the North and Middle Belt have suffered from sustained, coordinated assaults resulting in thousands of deaths, razed villages, and widespread displacement.
The group maintained that these attacks were not random incidents but part of a systemic pattern that has continued largely without accountability.
During the Abuja meeting, CAN’s Director of Planning, Research and Strategy, Bishop Mike Akpami, reportedly presented verified data highlighting targeted attacks on Christians across Africa, noting that Nigeria remains among the hardest-hit nations.
Those in attendance included Archbishop Daniel Okoh, CAN President; Rev. (Dr.) Stephen Panya Baba, Vice President; Apostle (Prof.) Samson Fatokun, General Secretary; Dean Rev. Emmanuel Nicodemus, Director of Education, Women & Youth; Dame Comfort Otera Chigbue (Esq), Director of Legal & Public Affairs; Bishop Mike Akpami, Director of Planning, Research & Strategy; Prophet Commodore Abimbola Ayuba, Director of National Issues & Social Welfare; Rev. Dr. Simon Dolly, Secretary, North Central Zone; and Dr. Victor Ivoke, Senior Special Assistant to the CAN President.
The statement clarified that Rev. Dr. Uzoaku Williams, Assistant General Secretary, and Dr. Celestine Aharanwa whose names appeared in some media reports were not present at the meeting.
CAN therefore urged the public and the media to disregard the misleading publication and to remain vigilant against any attempt to distort its consistent advocacy for justice and security for persecuted Christians across Nigeria.
