In recent days, international media outlets have reported alarming figures about ongoing violence in Nigeria; claiming that more than 700 Christians have been killed in just the first 220 days of 2025, with some even describing the killings as a “systematic genocide.” In response, the Federal Government, through the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has dismissed these reports as “false, baseless, despicable, and divisive.”

Yet the killings are not abstract numbers—they are an ongoing reality. In one of the most recent attacks in Benue State, dozens of villagers were murdered in Yelewata, adding to the staggering toll of lives lost this year. This crisis has stretched on for more than a decade, leaving tens of thousands dead and countless more displaced, showing clearly that Nigeria’s insecurity is not a past event but a present and persistent danger.

While PSJuk Media acknowledges that Nigeria’s security challenges are complex and multifaceted, we must pause to ask critical questions:

• Where does the government’s true concern lie? Is it more about protecting its international reputation, or about protecting the lives of Nigerians who are being killed daily?
  
  
• If this is not genocide, then what is it? Even if the killings are not officially categorized as a targeted religious extermination, is the reality not that many victims are slaughtered because they refuse to embrace extremist ideologies?
  
  
• What concrete measures are being taken? Beyond press releases and denials, how is the government actively ensuring that Nigerians—Christians, Muslims, and all others—can live without fear of terror, abduction, or massacre?
  
  

It is important to clarify narratives, but it is far more urgent to end the violence. Each number cited in these reports represents a human life—families shattered, communities displaced, and dreams cut short.

According to Ayo Adedoyin, CEO of PSJ UK:

“For over ten years, Nigerians have endured waves of attacks that have left communities traumatized and scarred. Whether or not the government accepts the label of genocide, the fact remains that people are dying, families are grieving, and communities are being erased. What Nigerians need is not rebuttals, but results—security they can trust, leaders they can believe in, and peace they can live in.”

PSJuk Media calls on the Federal Government to go beyond rebuttals and focus on transparency, accountability, and measurable action in addressing insecurity. Nigerians deserve the truth. Nigerians deserve peace. Nigerians deserve leadership that protects lives first, before defending images abroad.

Sign our STOP GENOCIDE PETITION