President Bola Tinubu, on Saturday, declared that he had a mission to unite Nigerians, assuring Christian communities in northern Nigeria that his administration would ensure fairness among all religions in the country.

This was as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar criticised the President for prioritising attending the burial of the mother of Mama Lydia Goshwe, mother of the All Progressives Congress National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, to visiting victims of terror attacks.

Tinubu, who gave the assurance during his meeting with some Christian leaders at the headquarters of the Church of Christ in Nations in Jos, Plateau State, said, “I have a mission to unite this country, ensure its prosperity, and we are making progress,” the President said.

A month-long spike in killings and village attacks across Nigeria’s Middle Belt and parts of the North has prompted an international outcry.

A dé agboolé Arùsà tí Olúbàdàn tuntun, Ọba Rashidi Ládọjà, láti bá àwọn mọ̀lẹ́bí Kábíèsí sọ̀rọ̀0:00 / 1:01


A dé agboolé Arùsà tí Olúbàdàn tuntun, Ọba Rashidi Ládọjà, láti bá àwọn mọ̀lẹ́bí Kábíèsí sọ̀rọ̀0:00 / 0:00

United States and Canadian lawmakers, international advocacy groups and faith organisations say Christians are being deliberately targeted, pressing for diplomatic action.

However, Nigerian officials and some analysts warn that the picture is more complex and that labelling the violence as a single-religion “genocide” risks misdiagnosis.

The diplomatic crescendo in recent weeks was driven in part by high-profile interventions in Washington and Ottawa.


US Senator Ted Cruz introduced a bill, “The Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025”, arguing that Nigerian Christians are “being targeted and executed,” and proposing accountability measures for officials who facilitate abuses.

Meanwhile, in Canada, former federal Conservative leader, Andrew Scheer, and other members of parliament have publicly condemned what they described as escalating persecution of Christians in Nigeria, raising the subject in parliamentary fora and on social media.

Those interventions were widely amplified online and published in several news media abroad and in-country.

These incidents are often attributed to heavily armed gangs, including Islamist militants (Boko Haram/Islamic States West Africa Province), bandits and armed pastoralist militias. Journalistic accounts and international monitors document repeated, brutal attacks on villages and churches.

However, the Federal Government has repeatedly rejected claims of a state-sponsored or one-sided campaign of persecution.

Senior media officials and the presidency labelled some international claims “malicious” or “contrived,” arguing that terrorists and bandits attack indiscriminately and that the violence could not be simplified into a purely religious narrative.

Tinubu, in his October 1 speech, emphasised that Nigeria suffered multiple security threats (insurgency, banditry, communal clashes) and that government efforts were focused on tackling all forms of violence.


Further stressing his point, the President, while paying tribute to the mother of the APC National Chairman, Nana Lydia Yilwatda, who died at the age of 83, on Saturday, noted that his immediate family had inter-religious ties.

He said, “In our family, we have a strong Muslim background, and I married a Christian, a pastor for that matter, and I have never forced her to change her religion.

“I inherited Islam from my family. I didn’t change, but my wife is a pastor. She prays for me all the time. I have never changed her at any single time, convinced or converted her. So, I believe in the freedom of religion because we are praying to the same God.”

He emphasised that what binds humanity is greater than what divides it, adding that deeds, character, and love for one another were what truly mattered before God.

“We are answerable to the same Almighty God. We will answer to Him. Our deed, our character, our love to our fellow beings is what matters,” the President added.

He further urged the clergymen to have faith in his administration.

According to him, as leaders, we have the responsibility to manage religious issues for the benefit of all.

Tinubu also reiterated his government’s determination to end insecurity and revive the nation’s economy.

“We are defeating bandits, and we will defeat them. We will deal with them and end the farmers-herders clashes,” he said, adding that ongoing economic reforms were designed to improve the welfare of all citizens.

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The President described the deceased as a devoted mother and humanitarian whose life reflected deep faith and service to her community.

Reflecting on his political journey, Tinubu recalled his past association with Plateau State, saying, “When we were coming here, Governor Caleb Mutfwang showed me one of the bungalows — the house of Ambassador Yahaya Kwande. During the SDP days, we met there to decide the fate of MKO Abiola.

In his remarks, the chief mourner and APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, described his late mother as a hardworking woman who lived on medication for 47 years.

“I am here to thank God for her life. My mother worked for twenty-four hours despite her health condition, supporting us and providing humanitarian assistance,” Yilwatda said.

He thanked the President for his emergence as APC National Chairman and pledged to uphold the trust reposed in him.

The President and Spiritual Leader of the Church of Christ in Nations, Reverend Dr Amos Mohzo, who spoke on behalf of the clergymen, expressed appreciation to Tinubu for his support of northern Christians, especially through key appointments such as Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and the APC National Chairman.

Mohzo also commended the President for his response to insecurity in Plateau and Benue States and appealed for assistance to victims of conflicts in the North-Central.

He urged the Federal Government to facilitate the safe return of Christian communities displaced by insurgents in Borno and Adamawa who are currently taking refuge in Cameroon.

The COCIN President assured the President of the church’s unflinching support for his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Reacting, former Vice President Atiku berated President Bola Tinubu for attending the burial, accusing him of choosing to celebrate with his party loyalists while victims of incessant killings in the region continue to mourn their loved ones.

In a statement on Saturday, Atiku criticised President Tinubu for visiting Plateau State not to sympathise with victims of violence, but to attend a party event hosted by the APC National Chairman.

Recall that, in recent times, several communities in Plateau, Kwara, Benue, and parts of Niger State have witnessed a series of violent attacks that have resulted in the loss of lives and the displacement of many citizens.

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Although President Tinubu had earlier visited Benue State, where he demanded that those responsible be brought to justice, leading to police arrests and the restoration of peace in the area, the Presidency has, for other states, issued condolences and condemned the killings across the North Central and other regions, while security agencies continue to intensify efforts to restore peace and stability.

During his visit to Plateau State, President Tinubu also met with Christian communities in the state amid ongoing global discussions triggered by American comedian and television host Bill Maher’s claims of a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria.

Reacting, Atiku lambasted President Tinubu for failing to visit states ravaged by insecurity and loss of lives to commiserate with victims, yet found time to visit one of the states for a political event.

The former Vice President stated, “It is a sad reflection of priorities and a glaring mockery of leadership that while families in Plateau continue to bury their loved ones, President Tinubu chose to grace a political funeral rather than stand with the people in their darkest hour.

“Between the APC National Chairman and his President, what we witnessed today is a heartless exhibition of disregard for empathy, compassion, and the dignity of human life.

“From Benue to Niger and most recently Kwara, the entire North-Central region has endured some of the most horrific waves of violence in recent history. Yet, not once has the APC-led government deemed it necessary to physically stand by the victims or console their families.”

He described President Tinubu as a leader who chose celebration over compassion, one who rejoiced while the people suffered.

Atiku continued, “Even when Tinubu made a symbolic visit to Benue State in June, he never bothered to set foot in Yelewata, the epicentre of the massacre. Instead, he ended his trip comfortably in Makurdi, turning his back on the people whose tears and blood still stain the soil.

“Now again, he is in Plateau State, not to console the bereaved or reassure the broken, but to celebrate and make merry with his party elite while the people mourn.

“The message could not be clearer: this is a President who would rather feast than feel – a leader who finds pleasure where the people find pain. The Nigerian people are watching, and they will remember.”