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…Calls for Urgent Reforms to Restore Secularism and Prevent Global Humanitarian Fallout

The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has declared that its long-standing findings on religious persecution in Nigeria have been vindicated following a shocking report by an American fact-finding mission procured by the Nigerian Government itself.

The report, released on October 14, 2025, confirmed the existence of what it described as a “calculated and long-running genocide against Christians and other religious minorities” across Northern and Middle Belt Nigeria.

The mission, led by Retired Mayor Mike Arnold of Blanco, Texas, included Retired U.S. Ambassador Lewis Lucke, Pastor Jed D’Grace, and Mr. Judd Saul.

The team’s investigation—ironically facilitated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and coordinated by Presidential aide Reno Omokri—was expected to refute international accusations of religious persecution in Nigeria. Instead, it corroborated the very reports the government had long dismissed as false or exaggerated.

American Team Confirms Genocide Despite Government Expectations

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Mayor Arnold revealed that while his travel expenses were paid by the Nigerian Government, his work was entirely independent and uncompensated. He disclosed that he had visited Nigeria 15 times since 2010 and undertaken six investigative missions since 2019.

“I came only to give, serve, and stand with the people of this country whom I dearly love as my second home,” Arnold said. “The campaign of violence and displacement in Northern and Middle Belt Nigeria does indeed constitute a calculated, current, and long-running genocide against Christian communities and other religious minorities, without any reasonable doubt. To continue to deny this is to be complicit in these atrocities.”

Arnold added that his “assignment was to speak the truth” and that despite being invited by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and Reno Omokri, he felt compelled to “declare the truth” regardless of official expectations.

Government-Procured Narrative Backfires

According to Intersociety, the Nigerian Government had hoped to use the American team’s report to discredit claims of religious persecution and improve Nigeria’s image ahead of U.S. and European human rights reviews. However, the mission’s findings had the opposite effect—vindicating local and international rights advocates who have documented widespread killings, abductions, and displacement of Christians in the country since 2010, with alarming escalation from 2015 onward.

The press conference, attended by journalists and selected activists, reportedly received minimal media coverage. Intersociety alleged that “attempts were made to twist or suppress” the report after it became clear that the findings contradicted official narratives.
The report later surfaced online through News Express and Sahara Reporters, sparking renewed debate on Nigeria’s worsening religious tensions.

Intersociety’s Warning: Nigeria Risks Global Sanctions and Isolation

In its official statement, signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, Head of Intersociety, alongside Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Esq., Chidinma Udegbunam, Esq., and Ogochukwu Obi, Esq., the organisation warned that Nigeria could soon earn the designation of “Country of Particular Concern” by the United States—a label that attracts targeted sanctions against political leaders and government officials accused of enabling or ignoring human rights abuses.

“This shocking disclosure is a rare opportunity for the government and lawmakers to correct course and save the country from further international embarrassment and humiliation,” the statement read. “Nigeria must stop defending the indefensible and wasting scarce public resources on propaganda and lobbying.”

21 Urgent Reforms Proposed by Intersociety

To reverse the crisis and re-establish Nigeria as a secular state, Intersociety outlined 21 sweeping measures the government must implement immediately. These include:

1. Upholding the supremacy of the Nigerian Constitution, particularly Sections 10 and 38, which guarantee secularism and freedom of religion.

2. Repealing all blasphemy and Sharia enforcement laws inconsistent with the Constitution and international human rights treaties.

3. Ending “State Jihadism” and reorienting governance toward genuine secularism.

4. Demilitarising ethnic and religiously targeted security operations, especially in Eastern Nigeria.

5. Convening a Constituent National Conference to renegotiate peaceful coexistence among Nigeria’s 384 ethnic groups and multi-religious communities.

6. Restoring displaced indigenous farming communities and disarming jihadist elements occupying vast forests across the country.

7. Ensuring proportional power-sharing between Christians and Muslims in federal and state governments to end the “Muslim-Muslim presidency” arrangement.

8. Conducting a credible national census to identify and repatriate illegal armed migrants.

9. Investigating and accounting for thousands of missing persons, especially the over 5,000 Igbos allegedly held in secret detention facilities since 2015.

10. De-radicalising the security forces and ending the perceived “above-the-law” status of armed herdsmen and extremist groups.

The group also urged Nigeria to emulate peaceful conflict resolution models from history, including the Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement (2005), Ethiopia-Eritrea separation (1991), and Germany’s post-Berlin Wall unification (1989).

A Warning of Global Consequences

Intersociety cautioned that failure to address Nigeria’s deep-seated religious and ethnic divisions could trigger “a complex humanitarian emergency” with far-reaching consequences across Africa, Europe, North America, and Asia. With a population nearing 240 million, the organisation warned that any internal implosion would destabilise not only West Africa but also global migration and security systems.

In conclusion, the InterSociety observed that the October 14 revelations mark a turning point in Nigeria’s long-denied religious crisis, adding that corroborating Intersociety’s years of documentation, the American fact-finders have reignited calls for accountability and reform.

But whether the government will heed these warnings—or continue defending the indefensible—remains to be seen.

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