The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, NIREC, Prof. Cornelius Omonokhua, has said both Muslims and Christians are victims of widespread killings by bandits and terrorists across Nigeria.
Omonokhua made the remarks on Tuesday at the close-out event of the “Promoting and Protecting Freedom of Religion or Belief” project, organised by Search for Common Ground with support from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Abuja.
He described the scale of violence as a “war on humanity,” stressing that criminal groups attack Nigerians regardless of religion.
“Christians have been massacred, Muslims have been massacred. There is war on humanity in Nigeria by the bandits and terrorists,” Omonokhua said. He added that the violence is driven largely by the pursuit of power and money, not religious ideology.
Omonokhua urged Nigerians not to allow terrorists to create divisions between faith communities, noting that NIREC’s work shows there is no religious war in the country. “We should not fall into the strategy of the terrorists. Let us agree that there is fire on the mountain, and it is you and I who must put it out,” he said.
Halilu Adamu, Director of the Civil and Political Rights Department at the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, represented the Executive Chairman, Anthony Ojukwu, and highlighted ongoing challenges, including religious intolerance, political manipulation, and mistrust between communities.
He stressed that protecting religious freedom is critical for dignity, identity, and national peace. Under the project, the NHRC received 12 toll-free lines to enhance reporting on religious freedom concerns.
‘Christians, Muslims are both victims of genocide in Nigeria’ – NIREC Sec
