Fani-Kayode, Presidential Aide Reject Bill Maher’s ‘Christian Genocide’ Allegations

Former Minister of Aviation and prominent political figure, Femi Fani-Kayode, along with an aide to President Bola Tinubu, have publicly and strongly refuted claims made by American political commentator Bill Maher regarding a “genocide of Christians” in Nigeria.

The controversy arose following an episode of Maher’s popular HBO talk show, Real Time with Bill Maher, where he drew attention to the ongoing violence in parts of Nigeria, particularly the Middle Belt region, criticising what he termed a lack of international and media focus on the systematic persecution of Christians.

In a swift response designed to control the domestic and international narrative, Fani-Kayode, who is a staunch supporter of the current administration, dismissed the “Christian genocide” label. The refutation by government-aligned figures suggests a strong pushback against international characterisations of the security challenges as purely religious cleansing, preferring to frame the incidents as complex issues of banditry, communal conflict, and farmer-herder clashes.

The Presidential aide, whose identity was not fully disclosed but spoke on the matter, echoed the sentiment, asserting that while the government acknowledges and is working to end insecurity, the situation does not meet the criteria of a religious genocide. The rebuttal highlights the deep sensitivity of the Nigerian government to allegations of religious persecution and the importance of countering such high-profile international criticisms. The exchange underscores the ongoing debate over the nature and root cause of the violence plaguing the nation.