Some southern “influencers” are hiding behind the so-called “Christian genocide” narrative to gaslight Muslims. They use this opportunity to exploit the emotions of their followers and attract clicks, since many of them earn from their posts. They see this as the perfect moment to use a trending topic for attention. They want Muslims either to support their claims or to remain silent. They have therefore decided that anyone who disagrees with them should be insulted, gaslighted, or even threatened. But none of these tactics will ever change the facts.
Some of them even claim that the Islamic movement, under the leadership of His Eminence Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, has never protested or condemned killings in Nigeria—despite knowing well that the movement itself has been a victim of state-sponsored terrorism for over four decades.
It is on record, not once but several times, that the Leader of the movement has fearlessly declared his stance on insecurity in the country. On March 6, 2014, Sheikh Zakzaky said:
“I don’t believe that the country is facing a security challenge, but rather a threat from the political class using insecurity as a tool to actualise their selfish interests and agenda.”
According to him, those in power deliberately created the situation of insecurity—without any concern for the loss of lives and property—simply to divert attention, loot the country’s wealth, and maintain their grip on power. He further explained that the situation was being instigated by foreign powers whose interests the Nigerian political elite serve diligently.
Sheikh Zakzaky argued that the fact Nigerians are still confused about what is happening to them, despite the ongoing brutal killings and bombings of innocent people, is clear evidence that a foreign agenda is unfolding in Nigeria. He said what is happening is nothing short of a calculated covert operation, and that there is more to the crisis than what the media are telling Nigerians.
That statement was made in 2014—eleven years ago. Yet, people who have only recently started following developments in Nigeria wake up today and spread lies for cheap political reasons. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of speeches, protests, and press conferences by the Islamic movement condemning oppression and standing with the oppressed—not only in Nigeria but beyond. The movement is known for that, regardless of religion, tribe, or race.
Also, in May 2014, Sheikh Zakzaky said:“Let no one be fooled; there is nothing like Boko Haram. It is a covert operation to balkanize Nigeria and steal its resources in the name of fighting insurgency.”
He went on to explain that the developments in northern Nigeria, especially the spate of attacks by Boko Haram, were replicas of Western operations in Iraq and Afghanistan—aimed at plundering the country.
“They have realised there is gold in Zamfara, Zaria and Birnin-Gwari, and gold and platinum in Sokoto and Borno. They did it in Iraq, claiming to search for weapons of mass destruction—which they never found—but plunged the country into chaos,” he said.
“The same experiment was done in Afghanistan before our eyes. The Western countries are now carrying out the second phase of the scramble for Africa, with great expectations from Nigeria.”
In 2020, activists of the movement staged a protest in Abuja condemning the killings of innocent Nigerians. Similarly, in December 2021, activists in Sokoto, a state facing serious insecurity, also came out to denounce the killings of innocent people in the name of banditry.
The movement has consistently made its position on insecurity clear, and all these statements are publicly available. Anyone can research them.
In September 2011, Sheikh Zakzaky stated: “We know that the West has said that this century and the past century are the centuries of Africa—where there will be a second scramble for Africa. The West has its eyes on Africa because the resources needed for global development are in Africa, particularly Nigeria. For this reason, all these nations have their eyes here.”
In February 2012, during an interview with France 24 TV, he reiterated: “They have chosen to use our religion and ridicule Islam to justify their actions. By the grace of Allah, it will not last, as people are beginning to realise the conspiracy.”
And again, in April 2012, he said: “The U.S. has been trying to interfere in Nigeria’s internal affairs under the pretext of fighting terrorism, even though it is the same people who create terrorists.”
The Islamic movement’s leader asserted that Western countries are driven by fear—because they know that if Nigeria adopted Islam as the foundation of governance, the impact would spread across Africa. “This is the main reason behind their efforts to destabilise Nigeria under the name of Boko Haram,” he said.
The Islamic movement has never supported Boko Haram or banditry. Instead, it has always opposed insecurity in all its forms. Even the so-called Boko Haram members themselves have labelled the movement’s followers as “heretics.”
To be frank, the movement does not compromise its beliefs or principles. People may admire them for their consistency, and others may be angered by their positions—but they do not care. What matters to them is always standing for what is right. History will be fair to them. We will not allow ourselves to be gaslighted or silenced just to please anyone.
The U.S. invasion of Nigeria under the pretext of stopping a so-called “Christian genocide” is wrong—and nothing will ever make it right. We will never support such an act because we have seen their footprints in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Libya. And if you think the U.S. cares about you, you are absolutely mistaken. They do not even care about gun violence in their own churches.
Data shows that gun violence incidents at houses of worship in the U.S. occur nationwide. As of October 1, 2025, there have been 50 such incidents that year alone, resulting in 32 deaths and over 70 injuries. Have you ever heard them show concern about that?
The protest in Kano by the Islamic movement was simple and clear. The banners read: “We condemn Trump’s threats to attack Nigeria.” “There is no Christian genocide in Nigeria — America wants to control our resources.”
There is nothing like “terrorist sympathisers.” Our position is clear: we condemn all forms of killings and do not trust U.S. intervention—because it has never brought peace anywhere in the world, only destruction.
Leave a comment