WASHINGTON — One of the most dangerous places for Christians worldwide is Nigeria. More than a decade of deadly violence has drawn international scrutiny, prompted U.S. military action, and fueled debate over whether Africa’s most populous nation is facing genocide.
In an exclusive interview with CBN News, Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, pushed back on claims that Christians are being systematically exterminated.
“I don’t think so,” Tinubu offered repeatedly when asked whether genocide is taking place. Instead, she described the violence as rooted in long-standing regional conflicts, poverty, terrorism, and political instability — particularly as the country approaches an election year in 2027.
“When you have terrorists and people kidnapping for money, and when the world is throwing in a narrative that is Christian genocide, {terrorists} will have hit on that and begin to attack churches,” she said.
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Her comments reflect the complexities of a nation divided largely between a Muslim-majority north and predominantly Christian south.
Critics argue that while thousands of Muslims have also been killed in large numbers, Christians are disproportionately targeted. If they’re not killed, they are kidnapped for ransom, lose their homes, farmland, and churches, and in some cases women and young girls are forced into marrying their captors.
More than 70 percent of Christians killed worldwide in recent years have died in Nigeria, according to Open Doors’ World Watch List.
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Even Tinubu herself has faced threats. An ordained Pentecostal pastor married to President Bola Tinubu, a Muslim, she recounted how a cleric once publicly suggested she should be stoned.
“There was a Muslim cleric that said I’m a heathen,” she explained. “Most of the people who spoke up for me are from the North,” Tinubu continued, suggesting that religious divisions are often more nuanced than portrayed.
Despite rejecting the genocide label, Tinubu welcomed U.S. intervention. She thanked President Trump for the missile strikes carried out against terrorist holdouts on Christmas Day.
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“We thank President Trump for what he did for us,” Tinubu told CBN News. “This {was} the first Christmas that no one was attacked,” she said, echoing responses from Nigeria’s Christian leaders.
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Her husband’s administration has since authorized expanded joint military operations, increased intelligence sharing with the United States, and announced plans to recruit 20,000 additional police and security personnel to combat terrorism.
But critics remain skeptical. With tens of thousands of lives claimed and millions displaced, they charge these latest moves come too late and at too high of a cost.
During her trip to Washington in early February, the First Lady embarked on what some observers described as a diplomatic “charm offensive,” promoting trade and strengthening U.S.-Nigeria relations. President Trump publicly recognized her at the National Prayer Breakfast, calling her “very respected” and praising Tinubu as both a national leader and Christian pastor.
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At home, Tinubu points to her nearly 40-year interfaith marriage as a model for coexistence in a divided nation.
“If I’m going to enjoy my marriage, Jesus has to come in and give me that peace,” she said. “My husband is a good man.”
A former senator, educator, author, and podcast host, Tinubu says her mission is rooted in faith — rebuilding what she calls “the broken walls” of her country through youth engagement, education, and women’s health initiatives.
Still, the ongoing violence in Nigeria leaves many to question whether Nigerian government officials can stem years of bloodshed and convince both its citizens and the international community that they are prepared to seriously combat terrorism and religious violence.
For many families displaced and grieving, the answer cannot come soon enough.
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