Nigeria’s African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Tuesday decried a deadly attack on a church in Kwara State as a grim symptom of unchecked violence, cautioning that the long-dismissed “Christian genocide” narrative risks becoming reality under the current administration’s watch.
The assault at Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, where gunmen killed worshippers during a service and abducted the pastor along with others, unfolded hours after a school raid in Kebbi that claimed two lives and snatched 25 girls, prompting the ADC to lambast federal authorities for reactive posturing over proactive defence.
In a statement by national publicity secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, the party condemned the bloodshed, saying: “The African Democratic Congress, ADC, condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the attack on Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State, where innocent worshippers were murdered during a church service, and others, including the pastor, abducted. This tragedy is another painful reminder of the pervasive insecurity that has taken root across the country.”
Abdullahi linked the incidents to governmental inertia, adding: “Coming within hours of another attack in Kebbi State where school officials were killed and students abducted, this particularly brutal attack and abduction give the impression that this government has lost control and Nigerians now live at the mercy of gunmen who are now emboldened by the government’s failure to act decisively.”
The ADC expressed alarm over the trajectory of religious tensions, warning: “The ADC is particularly concerned that the Christian genocide narrative, which we dismissed when it was first proposed, is gradually becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy due to the failure of the government to conduct an honest appraisal of the problem.”
The party fired a broadside at Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar’s recent claim of just 177 Christian deaths over five years, calling it “unfortunate and offensive” and symptomatic of deeper denial. “We were indeed dismayed by the statement made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, in a recent interview claiming that only 177 Christians have been killed in the last five years. We find this statement unfortunate and offensive, and if it reflects the thinking within the Federal Government, such a statement would explain why this government has failed to address the problem and why they cannot be trusted to solve it.”
The communique arrives amid heightened scrutiny following US President Donald Trump’s threats to curb aid over alleged sectarian atrocities, with rights monitors logging hundreds of faith-linked killings annually in Nigeria’s Middle Belt. The ADC urged an urgent, impartial review, as Kwara officials vowed enhanced patrols while parents of the abducted pastor and congregants pleaded for swift intervention.
