A coalition of over 50 Christian organisations on the aegis of Christian Social Movement of Nigeria (CSMN), on Thursday, November 20, 2025 called on the United Nations (UN) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) to immediately launch an independent investigation into the alleged ongoing genocide against Christians in Nigeria.
The Christian bodies pointedly declared that amid repeated denials of Christian Genocide in Nigeria, the most effective way of proving the veracity of Christian genocide in the country is by the intervention of the appropriate organs of the United Nations and the International Criminal Court (ICC) tasked with proving the truth about Genocide and Crimes against Humanity.
They noted that the scale and pattern of killings in parts of Nigeria meet the international definition of genocide under the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and the Rome Statute of the ICC.
The Christian bodies insisted that the denials by some government officials, religious leaders and regional bodies do not invalidate the claims of targeted attacks.
The organisations also backed the recent designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” by the United States, stressing that foreign intervention has become necessary as a result of the government’s alleged failure to protect vulnerable communities.
Members of the coalition which include; Middle Belt Voice, National Christian Elders Forum, National Prayer Alter, Apostolic Round Table, Stefanos Foundation, Lay Faithful Trust and Foundation amongst others, noted that the international community, particularly the UN and ICC have both the authority and obligation to intervene in situations of mass atrocities.
The United States President, Donald Trump had raised concern over killings of Christian in Nigeria, warning that the US would intervene if the killings of Christians should continue.
However, the federal government had repeatedly dismissed and denied allegation, insisting that the terrorists’ activities were not targeted against a particular religion.
But, Mr. Bosun Emmanuel, Convener of Christian Social Movement of Nigeria, who spoke on behalf of the coalition at a press conference, particularly called on the United Nations and the International Criminal Court (ICC) to conduct a thorough independent probe to ascertain their claims.
Emmanuel specifically pointed at the provisions of the Genocide Convention and the global “Responsibility to Protect” framework to back up the demand.
In the words of Emmanuel; “We humbly express our most sincere appreciation to the enviable President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump, for his kind and timely intervention in Nigeria to help put a stop to the on-going Genocide against Christians.
“We totally affirm our unreserved support to whatever means or policy he deems necessary in achieving his divinely inspired objective in Nigeria,” he said.
Emmanuel further argued that the responsibility to determine whether genocide has occurred rests with international investigators and not with local actors with vested interests.
The Christian group specifically criticised the African Union (AU) and some Muslim organisations including the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and others denying Christian genocide in Nigeria.
According to Emmanuel; “What constitutes the crime of Genocide in International Criminal Law is well spelt out in Article II of the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, ratified by UN General Assembly resolution 260 A (III) of 9th December 1948.
“Similarly, Part 2, Article 6 of the 17th July 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court clearly stipulates what constitute Genocide.
“It is therefore laughable that some people would think that the mere denial of what constitutes Genocide translates to its non-occurrence with Christians in Nigeria. Genocide is a crime recognized by international law as afore cited and, thus, its occurrence can only be established by statutory international investigators empowered by the aforesaid exacting laws; and not by rented official mercenaries and crowds of unscrupulous agent provocateurs.
“We therefore hereby request the United Nations Security Council in conjunction with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to immediately send a team of investigators to ascertain the veracity of Christian Genocide in Nigeria,” the Christian bodies declared.
