Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has dismissed claims circulating in the United States that Nigeria is experiencing religious genocide, insisting that no such atrocity is taking place in his state or any part of the country.
Naijaonpoint reports that Alia, a Catholic priest turned governor, asserted this on Wednesday, November 19, at a consultative forum on the protection of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Forcibly Displaced Persons (FDPs) organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Abuja.
The governor challenged claims used by some U.S. officials to push for Nigeria’s designation as a “Country of Particular Concern,” a classification tied to allegations of systematic persecution of Christians.
“In my state of Benue, we don’t have any religious, any ethnic, any racial, any national or state genocide. We don’t have that,” Alia said.
He acknowledged the state’s insecurity but insisted it did not meet the definition of genocide.
“Do we have a number of insecurities in the state? Yes, we do. But it is not a genocide. Someone would need to check the United Nations definitions for this” the Benue Governor stated.
There Is No Jihad in Nigeria – Says Alia
Governor Alia also rejected claims that jihadist movements were operating across the country, explaining that while extremist groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP have ideological goals tied to distorted interpretations of Islam, their activities do not translate to an ongoing jihad within Nigeria.
“We do not have any jihad in Nigeria,” he stated firmly.
“I’m speaking to you as a reverend father in the church. I’m speaking to you as a governor of a state. If there were any, I would have been the very number one person to make a noise.”
Alia explained that Boko Haram seeks an Islamic state within Nigeria, while ISWAP aspires to a broader caliphate tied to ISIS, but stressed these ambitions are not equivalent to an organised religious war in Benue or the wider federation.
Naijaonpoint reports that Nigeria has faced growing international scrutiny after some U.S. officials alleged targeted killings of Christians.
U.S President Donald Trump recently threatened to deploy American troops to Nigeria to “save Christians,” drawing widespread debate.
However, Alia maintains that the insecurity confronting Nigeria is rooted in banditry, resource clashes, and weak governance, not religious persecution.
Multiple investigations, including a BBC report, found that data presented by some U.S. groups as evidence of genocide could not be independently verified.
Alia revealed that he had personally visited the American Embassy to counter what he described as misleading narratives about Benue.
“It’s on the record that I had an interface with the American ambassador to let him know that both in Nigeria, particularly in Benue State, there is no genocide,” Alia said.
He said the UN definition of genocide does not align with the state’s reality.
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