Farotimi Reacts After Lai Mohammed Comments On Reasons Behind Boko Haram's Attacks On Christians -

Nigerian Lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi has responded to an old statement by former Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, explaining why Boko Haram targets Christians in Nigeria.

In a post shared on his official X handle, Farotimi reposted a 2020 publication by Premium Times in which Lai Mohammed stated that Boko Haram deliberately attacked Christians to spark a religious conflict and sow division between Muslims and Christians in the country.

According to Mohammed’s 2020 explanation, this marked a shift in Boko Haram’s approach. The group, which had previously attacked both Muslims and Christians indiscriminately including assaults on mosques and churches began to single out Christian communities.

He attributed the change in tactics to the military’s sustained offensives that weakened the group, forcing them to adopt guerrilla strategies and focus on soft targets.

Farotimi’s post followed a recent statement by human rights lawyer Malcolm Omirhobo, who criticized Pastor Wale Adefarasin for dismissing U.S. claims of Christian genocide in Nigeria. Omirhobo argued that the ongoing killings represent a deliberate campaign of ethnic cleansing led by Fulani militias.

By sharing Mohammed’s past comments, Farotimi sought to highlight the inconsistency between Adefarasin’s remarks and the former minister’s earlier acknowledgment of religiously motivated violence.

He attached an image showing this contrast, suggesting that even government officials like Lai Mohammed had previously admitted the sect’s intention to exploit religion to destabilize the country.

Through his post, Farotimi appeared to challenge attempts to downplay the religious dimension of the crisis, reminding Nigerians that the issue had long been recognized, even by top government figures.