Senate Sets Up Committee to Counter U.S. Genocide Claims

The Nigerian Senate has constituted an ad hoc committee to address recent claims by the United States Government alleging possible acts of genocide targeting Christians in parts of the country.

The decision was reached during a closed-door session on Monday, where lawmakers deliberated on the diplomatic and reputational implications of the allegations for Nigeria’s international standing and interfaith relations.

Members of the committee include Victor Umeh, Yemi Adaramodu, Aniekan Bassey, Niyi Adegbonmire, Abdul Ningi, Titus Zam, Tony Nwoye, Tahir Munguno, and Asuquo Ekpenyong.

The committee has been tasked with developing a comprehensive position paper backed by verifiable data and statistics, to be presented to both the Executive and the Senate. The document will shape Nigeria’s legislative stance and guide its engagement in ongoing international discussions.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who announced the decision, emphasized that the report must be fact-based and designed to correct misconceptions about Nigeria’s security challenges.

Earlier, the Senate resolved to engage directly with the U.S. Congress to counter what it described as misleading narratives portraying the country’s terrorism-related violence as a religiously motivated genocide.

The resolution followed a motion raised by Senator Ali Ndume, which triggered a broader debate on Nigeria’s global image and the need to communicate its internal security realities more effectively.

Akpabio proposed that a smaller Senate delegation should visit the United States for private discussions with American lawmakers, stating, “There are misconceptions that need to be corrected. We are dealing with a complex terrorist threat, and it’s important that our counterparts in the U.S. understand that the violence affects both Christians and Muslims.”

Senator Jimoh Ibrahim also stressed the importance of adopting knowledge-based counterterrorism strategies to improve Nigeria’s response to insecurity.