Former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has reiterated his rejection of claims that there was genocide against Christians in Nigeria, describing the allegations as false and lacking factual foundation.
He made the remarks while explaining the motivation behind his book, “Headlines and Soundbites: Media Moments that Defined an Administration,” during an interview on Trust TV.
Mohammed said the book was written to confront narratives that gained widespread attention during the Buhari administration but, in his view, misrepresented the nature of Nigeria’s security challenges.
“The issue of the allegations of genocide against Christians is completely false, it’s untrue,” he said. “When you look at Boko Haram, who were the early victims of Boko Haram, they were Muslims.”
According to the former minister, Nigeria’s insecurity problem has largely been driven by extremist violence and criminal activities that cut across religious and ethnic lines, rather than a targeted campaign against Christians. He argued that the early phases of Boko Haram’s insurgency saw significant numbers of Muslim clerics and communities attacked for opposing the group’s ideology.
Mohammed explained that such context was often missing in international reports, leading to what he described as distorted interpretations of events in Nigeria. He said these narratives sometimes shaped foreign policy decisions and public opinion abroad, creating reputational challenges for the country.
In Headlines and Soundbites, Mohammed said he documented how the administration responded to these allegations and engaged with global media and diplomatic partners to clarify Nigeria’s position. The book, he noted, highlights the difficulties of countering simplified headlines once they gain traction.
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