Andrew Scheer, a Member of the House of Commons for Regina—Qu’Appelle and former Leader of Canada’s Conservative Party, has publicly accused the international community of deliberately ignoring the “systematic persecution” of Christians in Nigeria, calling the violence a genocidal campaign.
Speaking on the floor of Canada’s House of Commons, Scheer highlighted the devastating human cost, claiming that terrorist groups like Boko Haram and allied militias have caused immense suffering while the world looks away.
Scheer provided specific, disturbing statistics to underscore the scale of the violence:
- 7,000 Christians killed in the year of the speech.
- 3.5 million people displaced and forced to flee their homes.
- Three churches destroyed every single day.
“The world has largely ignored the persecution of Christians in Nigeria,” Scheer said in a video posted to his X account. “It’s time to break the silence, raise awareness, and support those enduring unimaginable suffering.”
He recounted the brutality, including the abduction of schoolgirls and the burning alive of civilians, noting that worshippers must now gather either in secrecy or in burnt-out church buildings. Scheer lamented the lack of international coverage, stating there are “no embedded journalists covering the violence” and that political leaders worldwide are not being pressed for a response.
Scheer’s comments echo those made days earlier by American comedian and television host Bill Maher. Speaking on his HBO show Real Time with Bill Maher on September 26, Maher accused Western media and political elites of staying silent on the crisis, which he described as an “ongoing genocide.”
Maher cited even larger casualty figures for the period since 2009:
- Over 100,000 Christians killed since 2009.
- 18,000 churches burned.
“I’m not a Christian, but they are systematically killing the Christians in Nigeria,” Maher stated, questioning the absence of public outrage and Western activism on the issue.
In response to these international claims, the Nigerian Government has firmly dismissed reports suggesting terrorists are carrying out a systematic genocide against Christians, describing such claims as “false, baseless, despicable, and divisive.”
In a press statement, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, asserted that portraying Nigeria’s security challenges as a targeted campaign against a single religious group is a “gross misrepresentation of reality.”
The Minister stressed that terrorist groups target people of all faiths: “The violent activities of terrorist groups are not confined to any particular religious or ethnic community. These criminals target all who reject their murderous ideology, regardless of faith. Muslims, Christians, and even those who do not identify with any religion have suffered at their hands,” he said.
Both Scheer and Maher urged international governments, faith communities, and humanitarian groups to step up with relief efforts for the displaced and suffering victims.
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