The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA)Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has strongly condemned the United States’ decision to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC), describing it as a political move based on false claims of Christian persecution.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Sunday, November 9, the Council said the designation was influenced by “Islamophobic and unpatriotic Nigerians” who misled the U.S. government into believing that Christians are being targeted in Nigeria.

According to the NSCIA, the violence in the country is not religious but a national security issue that affects both Muslims and Christians. “We have not been emphasising the killings of Muslims because we do not see it as a religious war, but a national security issue,” the Council stated.

It argued that claims of a “Christian genocide” collapse when compared with facts and independent reports. Quoting Amnesty International and the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), the Council said there is “no evidence of religious motivation” behind the killings in Nigeria, adding that both Muslims and Christians are victims of terrorism and banditry.

The NSCIA said the real causes of the violence include ecological pressures, criminality, and governance failures. It pointed to climate change, poverty, unemployment, and illegal mining as key factors driving the crisis. “This is not an Islamist invasion; it is a desperate struggle for survival,” the Council explained.

The group also accused some foreign politicians, Nigerian separatists, and local “crisis entrepreneurs” of promoting false genocide claims for personal or political gain. It named U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and Congressman Riley Moore among those “energising their domestic evangelical base” by spreading misinformation.

According to the NSCIA, some groups such as the “Biafra Republic Government In-Exile” have been spending millions of dollars on lobbying efforts in Washington to portray Nigeria as unsafe for Christians, with the goal of destabilising the country.

The Council suggested that the U.S. decision may be linked to Nigeria’s growing ties with China and its public support for Palestine at the United Nations. “This campaign escalated after Nigeria reaffirmed its support for a two-state solution and the Palestinian people,” the Council said.

It called on Nigerian Christians to reject attempts to divide the country along religious lines. “You are not our enemies; you are our compatriots and neighbours. We are all victims of a failed security system and criminal insurgency,” the statement added.

The NSCIA urged the U.S. government to withdraw the designation and assist Nigeria with intelligence and logistics instead of actions that could “fragment the nation.”

“We affirm that there is no Christian genocide in Nigeria. There is no Muslim genocide in Nigeria. What we face is poverty, climate change, bad governance, and crime. Nigeria’s unity will not be broken by lies,” the Council declared