The Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) Nigeria has welcomed the end-of-mission statement of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Nazila Ghanea, describing her preliminary findings as an affirmation of its long-held position on Nigeria’s security and religious freedom situation.
Ghanea concluded her official visit to Nigeria, which took place from June 8 to June 19, 2026, with initial observations that MPAC says align with its years of advocacy on insecurity and inter-religious relations in the country.
In a statement, the organisation said it received the rapporteur’s remarks “with a deep sense of vindication,” while cautioning that the development should not be interpreted as triumphalism, but rather as confirmation of evidence-based analyses it has previously advanced.
MPAC cited its interpretation of the UN official’s comments as indicating that there is no evidence of an intentional state policy aimed at destroying any religious community in Nigeria — a threshold required under international law for genocide.
The group also referenced Ghanea’s reported statement that there was no indication of “a direct government instruction… with an intentionality of destroying one religious community or another.”
The organisation further highlighted the rapporteur’s assessment that Nigeria’s insecurity does not amount to state-directed religious persecution.
According to MPAC, the findings noted that both Muslims and Christians are victims of violence across the country, with Muslims in some regions also disproportionately affected — a point it says is often underrepresented in international narratives.
A major focus of MPAC’s response was the use of terms such as “genocide” and “persecution” in describing Nigeria’s security challenges.
While acknowledging that affected communities use such language to express suffering, the group argued that these terms have specific legal meanings and should not be applied loosely.
“Empathy for suffering must not become a licence for legal and political misrepresentation,” the organisation said, warning that such framing could distort realities and deepen social divisions.
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MPAC maintained that Nigeria’s insecurity is driven by multiple structural factors rather than religious conflict, citing issues such as resource competition, climate-related displacement, proliferation of small arms, weak rural security presence, and governance failures.
The organisation also raised concerns about impunity, saying this aligns with issues reportedly noted by the UN rapporteur.
It argued that Nigeria’s inability to consistently investigate and prosecute perpetrators of violent crimes continues to undermine public trust and may contribute to perceptions of state complicity.
As part of its statement, MPAC referenced the case of Ummulkhairi, a young woman allegedly lynched in Kaduna State, saying arrests had been made but justice had not been fully served. It called for full prosecution of those responsible and stronger safeguards to prevent similar incidents.
The group urged the federal government to treat the UN rapporteur’s findings as a “strategic inflection point” for reforms in justice and security institutions, and called on international partners to rely on verified evidence rather than simplified or politicised narratives in engaging Nigeria’s security situation.
MPAC also directed criticism at some American Evangelical Christian organisations, accusing them of promoting what it described as a “Christian genocide” narrative.
It argued that such framing misrepresents Nigeria’s complex security realities and risks increasing tensions.
The organisation urged such groups to support locally driven peacebuilding efforts and avoid actions it says may contribute to polarisation.
MPAC reaffirmed its commitment to advocating an evidence-based understanding of insecurity in Nigeria and to defending the rights and safety of all citizens regardless of religion.
