A former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Usman Yusuf, has raised alarm over what he describes as a growing “false narrative” of Christian genocide in northern Nigeria, warning that the claims are deepening mistrust and setting the region “against itself” at a time of escalating insecurity.
In a strongly worded opinion, Yusuf said the allegations—amplified by foreign groups, local actors and international political interests—are not only misleading but harmful to long-standing interfaith relations in northern Nigeria.
Recalling a more harmonious era, the professor painted a picture of a Nigeria where young people from across the country mingled freely, citing his student years at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, from 1976 to 1982. He contrasted that unity with today’s climate of suspicion, which he blamed partly on what he called “toxic propaganda”.
Yusuf argued that Muslims in northern Nigeria have themselves suffered the greatest casualties from years of terrorist attacks, yet are being unfairly portrayed as perpetrators of organized violence against Christians.
He dismissed claims of a coordinated anti-Christian campaign as “insensitive and irresponsible,” saying they ultimately distract from the real issue—government failure to protect all citizens.
“We are burying our dead every day in dignified silence,” he said, accusing some Christian groups and media platforms of selectively reporting violence in ways that unfairly cast Muslims as aggressors.
Citing recent research by Dr. Aliyu Tilde, Yusuf said Nigerian media often highlights Christian identity when Christians are victims but downplays Muslim identity when Muslims are killed. He listed multiple incidents—from accidental military airstrikes in Kaduna, Zamfara, Nasarawa and Borno—to argue that hundreds of Muslim civilians have been killed in recent years without corresponding global outrage.
Despite these losses, he said, “Muslims did not go into the world screaming genocide”.
Yusuf also made explosive claims that Nigerian security agencies are deploying Christian militias from the Niger Delta in operations across the north, allegedly resulting in attacks on Muslim worshippers. He urged northern leaders and Muslim organisations to demand their immediate withdrawal and an investigation into their engagement.
He further warned that former U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent comments about intervening militarily to “protect Christians” in Nigeria could inflame tensions and trigger disastrous consequences.
“The Muslim North is eerily silent”, he said, comparing the mood to the tense aftermath of the 1966 coup. “People are angry… saying they will not sit and wait to be attacked”.
The Professor expressed concern that terror groups—including bandits, Boko Haram, ISWAP and Lakurawa—appear intent on destabilising the north ahead of the 2026–2027 elections. The recent surge in mass abductions, including the closure of boarding schools across the region, he described as a “defeatist” move that emboldens criminals.
Yusuf urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently address the nation and reassure citizens, saying leaders have been “hiding in their bunkers” while fear spreads. “At terrifying times like these silence is not an option”, he warned.
He concluded with a plea for calm, unity and decisive leadership: “May God Almighty heal our wounds and bring peace to our land”.
