Human rights activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has strongly criticized both the United States and the Nigerian government, accusing them of hypocrisy and dishonesty in their response to the mass killings happening across Nigeria.
Sowore made these remarks in reaction to renewed calls by some U.S. lawmakers urging Washington to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern (CPC)” over alleged persecution of Christians.
According to Sowore, Nigeria’s violence and insecurity are not driven by religion, but by decades of bad governance, corruption, and lack of accountability. He described the ongoing killings as a form of genocide against poor Nigerians, regardless of their religion or ethnic background.
“There’s genocide against the poor, against Muslims, against Christians, against children,” Sowore said.
“Trying to separate it by religion is dishonest. The country doesn’t check who carries a Bible or a Quran before counting the dead.”
He warned that focusing only on Christian persecution, as some U.S. politicians have done, creates a false narrative and distracts from the real causes of Nigeria’s security crisis.
Sowore explained that the killings are not limited to one group or region. He pointed out that many of the attacks in Northern Nigeria affect both Muslims and Christians alike.
“In the North, gunmen even attack mosques. Just recently, 35 worshippers were killed, and the attackers were likely Muslims too,” he said.
He stressed that the Nigerian government’s failure to provide security, economic opportunity, and justice for victims has made life unbearable for the average citizen.
“In a country where thousands are killed daily, no one calls the government genocidal,” he said.
“The problem isn’t religion — it’s irresponsible leadership and widespread insecurity.”
Sowore didn’t spare the United States in his criticism. He accused Washington of selective outrage and double standards in how it responds to global conflicts.
“Why is the U.S. silent about Gaza, where Muslims are being killed by Israel? That’s international hypocrisy,” he asked.
He said the U.S. approach to Nigeria’s crisis—framing it as a religious issue—only helps corrupt Nigerian leaders shift the blame.
“When the U.S. says it wants to protect Christians, that’s not a solution,” Sowore argued.
“If all Christians were taken away from Nigeria, people would still be killed. It’s not about religion.”
Meanwhile, U.S. lawmaker Riley M. Moore has written to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, calling for the U.S. government to take a harder stance on Nigeria. In the letter dated October 6, 2025, Moore described Nigeria as “the deadliest place in the world to be a Christian,” and called for a halt in arms sales to the country unless the killings stop.
But Sowore believes such measures won’t solve anything if the root causes—corruption, insecurity, and weak leadership—are not addressed.
He concluded that unless these fundamental problems are tackled, Nigerians of all religions will continue to suffer and die.
Nigeria has been facing widespread violence over the past decade, with attacks by bandits, insurgents, and unknown gunmen in various regions.
