Human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has accused both the United States and the Nigerian government of hypocrisy in their response to the wave of killings across Nigeria.
Sowore argued that the country’s violence stems from bad governance and insecurity, not religion, cautioning against framing the crisis as persecution of either Christians or Muslims.
His reaction followed renewed calls by some U.S. lawmakers urging Washington to label Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) over alleged Christian persecution.
According to Sowore, such claims distort reality and divert attention from the real issues.
“There’s genocide against the poor, against Muslims, against Christians, against children. Trying to separate it by religion is dishonest,” he said.
He stressed that Nigeria does not identify victims by faith, noting that “the country doesn’t check who carries a Bible or a Koran before counting the dead.”
Sowore also criticised the U.S. for what he described as selective outrage, citing Washington’s silence on conflicts such as Gaza.
“Why is the U.S. silent about Gaza, where Muslims are being killed by Israel? That’s international hypocrisy,” he added.
The activist maintained that insecurity affects every region and faith group, insisting the root cause is failed leadership and corruption.
“In a country where thousands are killed daily, no one calls the government genocidal. The problem isn’t religion—it’s irresponsible leadership and widespread insecurity,” he said.
Sowore noted that many of the deadliest attacks occur in northern Nigeria, affecting both Muslims and Christians.
“In the North, gunmen even attack mosques. Just recently, 35 worshippers were killed, and the attackers were likely Muslims too,” he said.
He warned that blaming religion only serves to shield Nigerian leaders from accountability.
“When the U.S. says it wants to protect Christians, that’s not a solution. If all Christians were taken away, people would still be killed,” he argued.
Sowore concluded that unless the government confronts corruption and insecurity head-on, Nigerians of all faiths will continue to die needlessly.
Meanwhile, U.S. lawmaker Riley M. Moore has written to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging Washington to consider sanctions against Nigeria over what he described as the “systematic persecution of Christians.”
In the letter dated October 6, 2025, Moore described Nigeria as “the deadliest place in the world to be a Christian” and suggested halting arms sales to the country until the killings stop.
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