"Christian Genocide": Nothing will break Nigeria

By Chinelo Obogo

The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, has said that despite the trials within and outside Nigeria, nothing will cause the breakup of the country.

He said this in Lagos on Monday, October 13, 2025, during the meeting of the National Council of Traditional Rulers in Nigeria (NCTRN) with theme: “The Traditional Institution: The Imperative of its inclusion in effective and efficient governance in Nigeria.”

Though the traditional ruler didn’t outrightly mention the allegations made by Republican Senator from Texas, Ted Cruz, who introduced a bill in the US Senate, titled ‘Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025 (S.2747)’, which seeks to restore Nigeria’s status as a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act, and to impose accountability measures on government officials, the Sultan said he believes in Nigeria, and urged Nigerians to love and support each other.

Nigeria was first designated as a CPC by the US in December 2020 but the designation was removed in November 2021, saying the Federal Government was not directly “engaged” in the severe religious freedom violations. However, Cruz called for a return of the CPC tag last month, citing what he described as the systematic persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in Nigeria by Islamist Boko Haram and Fulani militants, as well as alleged government complicity through weak enforcement and blasphemy laws.

At the meeting of traditional rulers on Monday, the Sultan said: “I have had very strong impressions of the government of the United States and I believe it is the best idea to at least challenge the government of the United States. This is Nigeria and nothing will break us despite any trials outside and even within the country. Despite the challenges that we face in the moment, and I always say to people that Nigeria is not an exception. Whatever is happening across the world is happening in Nigeria. What we need to do is to come together, and see how we can help one another, so that this country will be a better place.

“There’s no need for crying foul, there’s no need for making a lot of noise about certain things that you know are not true. We believe in this country, we believe in Nigeria, and I believe all of us here are here for one important reason, for a greater and more united Nigeria. We cannot do so unless we honestly love and support one another.

“We have to be the best you can be, do whatever you think is right to help our various communities across this country. The most difficult thing about change is change itself. We are seeing changes. They are hard. They are not avoidable. When you know you have a challenge, you confront it and put the challenge behind you. That’s why we urge all Nigerians to rise up, to confront this challenge, so that Nigeria will be a much better place. So we must never lose hope, and we will not lose hope. This council will continue to work to the best of its ability and we urge our governments to always listen to us to continue to be the best we can be.”