According to a report by Vanguard on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, an Elder statesman and founding member of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Alhaji Abubakar Tanko Yakasai, has dismissed claims of a Christian genocide in Nigeria, insisting that Christians and Muslims have coexisted peacefully for generations.
Yakasai spoke in an interview about recent allegations of targeted attacks against Christians, asserting that the narratives were being exaggerated and misrepresented internationally, he criticised U.S. President Donald Trump for remarks that suggested such killings were occurring, describing them as inaccurate and misleading.
Yakasai, who played a prominent role in Nigeria’s radical political movement of the 1950s and 1960s, also served as a commissioner in Kano and special assistant on National Assembly liaison to President Shehu Shagari.
He emphasised that historical relations between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria have largely been harmonious, and that claims of large-scale religious persecution fail to reflect the reality on the ground.
He accused foreign media of inflaming religious tensions in Nigeria for political purposes.
According to Yakasai, some narratives circulating abroad are designed to create division and portray the country as unstable along religious lines, he stated that these claims often rely on exaggerated or isolated incidents that do not represent the broader societal context.
The elder statesman also highlighted that certain individuals with close connections to the United States had approached Trump with unverified information, Yakasai argued that these actions contributed to international misconceptions about the state of religious relations in Nigeria.
He reiterated that Christians and Muslims have historically lived side by side, sharing communities and institutions without widespread conflict.
Yakasai further stressed that the peaceful coexistence of the two religions remains evident across the country.
He pointed out that interfaith dialogue and collaboration continue to be strong in many regions, countering claims of systemic targeting of any religious group, he also criticised attempts to politicise religious differences for personal or external interests.
Alhaji Abubakar Tanko Yakasai concluded by reaffirming that Nigeria’s Christians and Muslims maintain a shared history and social bond, he insisted that reports suggesting otherwise do not accurately represent the situation and called for careful verification of information before it is presented internationally.
According to him, “I don’t agree there is Christian genocide. Some Christians close to the United States of America took advantage of their closeness to Donald Trump.
“Christians and Muslims have been living in peace with one another; we are brothers and sisters. Few individuals went to America to talk to Trump. Christians and Muslims are not living in separation. View, More,
Explore More News By Using The Button.