It’s unfortunate to read that the claim of ‘Christian Genocide’ was sourced from one Emeka—Sen Sani

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has criticised the credibility of reports that influenced U.S. lawmakers and the White House into believing there was an ongoing “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, according to a tweet on X. His reaction followed a recent publication by The New York Times indicating that the alarming figures used in lobbying efforts originated from an unverified source in Anambra State.

According to the report, the claim—which alleged that 125,000 Christians had been killed—was traced to a man identified only as Emeka, a screwdriver seller in Onitsha who also operated a small NGO. The figures he circulated were reportedly compiled through personal internet searches rather than verified field documentation, yet they were amplified by international lobbyists and advocacy groups.

Senator Sani expressed concern that such unverifiable statistics were accepted without scrutiny by top levels of the U.S. government. He noted that the misinformation created heightened tension within American political circles and influenced policy discussions that later resulted in military actions. The senator argued that this episode exposed a dangerous gap in how global institutions evaluate foreign intelligence claims.

He further described the chain of events as one of the most embarrassing instances of misplaced international reliance on false narratives. According to him, the ease with which questionable information escalated into serious diplomatic and military responses underscores the importance of responsible reporting and fact-checking in international relations.

In his words, “It’s unfortunate and tragic to read the New York Times report that the claim of ‘Christian Genocide’ was sourced from one Emeka, an Onitcha based Screwdriver Trader and ‘operator of a small NGO’ who falsely claimed to have documented ‘125 thousand Christian deaths’ using ‘google searches’. How such an unverified claim could tensed up the US lawmakers, President and the intelligence community, that led to an airstrikes is one of the most foolish and comical historical events in our lifetime.”