Abuja — Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has said that Christians are being victimised in some parts of Northern Nigeria, while noting that the situation varies from state to state.
Dogara made the remarks on Sunday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, where he was asked to comment on claims of religious victimisation against Christians in the region.
According to him, several North-Central states, including Plateau, Benue, Taraba, and Nasarawa, do not suppress Christian voices, stressing that residents of those states cannot genuinely claim marginalisation or silencing based on faith.
However, the former Speaker acknowledged that religious-related challenges still exist in certain areas of Northern Nigeria, describing the issue as complex and dependent on individual state dynamics.
He explained that while Christians in some states are able to practise their faith freely without discrimination, there are “pockets of problems” in parts of the North that require urgent attention.
Dogara emphasized that resolving such challenges would require collaboration between Christians and Muslims who are genuinely committed to peaceful coexistence.
“In some parts of Northern Nigeria, yes, there is victimisation. But there are other parts — like Plateau, Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa — where you cannot say your voice has been silenced as a Christian,” he said.
He added, “It is a difficult question to answer broadly because it is a state-by-state issue. While there are states where Christians face no problems, there are certainly areas with challenges that must be addressed through cooperation between people of faith.”
Dogara’s comments come amid ongoing national conversations around religious freedom, insecurity, and communal tensions in parts of the country.
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