Sociopolitical activist Aisha Yesufu has alleged that Christians in northern Nigeria are facing “political genocide,” adding her voice to growing international concerns over attacks on Christian communities.
Her comments came after American comedian and television host Bill Maher claimed there have been coordinated attacks against Nigerian Christians. Speaking on his show, Maher described the situation as a “Christian genocide” allegedly driven by foreign actors.
“I’m not a Christian, but they are systematically killing the Christians in Nigeria. They’ve killed over 100,000 since 2009. They’ve burned 18,000 churches. These are the Islamists, Boko Haram,” Maher said.
Responding on X (formerly Twitter), Yesufu criticised those who she said ignore the persecution of Northern Christians for political reasons.
“You are shouting that Northern Christians are being persecuted but you championed Muslim-Muslim ticket!” she wrote, referring to the 2023 presidential election.
“Their Christianity was not Christian enough for you during the 2023 election. Your hypocrisy stinks to high heavens. When will you talk about the Northern Christians’ political genocide?”
Yesufu, a prominent voice in Nigerian civil society, has often criticised political elites for ignoring deep-rooted religious and ethnic issues in the country.
Maher’s comments and Yesufu’s reaction have reignited conversations on religious persecution and political representation of Christians in northern Nigeria, a region that has experienced frequent attacks from extremist groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).