ADC Warns Tinubu Government as ‘Christian Genocide’ Fears Surge After Deadly Kwara Church Attack

The African Democratic Congress has accused the Nigerian government of allowing a previously dismissed “Christian genocide” narrative to take root, following another deadly assault on a church in Kwara State.

In a sharply worded statement, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, condemned the killing and abduction of worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, describing the incident as a fresh reminder of Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.

Gunmen stormed the church during a service, killing several members of the congregation and abducting others, including the pastor. The attack occurred just hours after gunmen in Kebbi State killed school staff and seized students—an escalation the party says signals a security system in freefall.

According to the ADC, the frequency and brutality of recent attacks suggest a state losing its grip on national security, leaving citizens exposed to increasingly emboldened gunmen.

The party expressed particular concern over comments made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, who recently claimed that 177 Christians had been killed in Nigeria over the past five years. Abdullahi described the remark as “unfortunate and offensive,” arguing that such downplaying of violence reflects the government’s failure to confront the scale of the crisis.

The ADC, which said it previously rejected claims of an orchestrated Christian genocide, warned that government denialism is now fuelling the very narrative it once considered exaggerated.

“This government must stop responding defensively and instead conduct an honest appraisal of the problem,” the statement said, adding that Nigerians “now live at the mercy of gunmen” due to the state’s inability to act decisively.