Reno Omokri Debunks Bill Maher’s Claim of Christian Genocide in Nigeria

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Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has dismissed as false claims by American talk show host Bill Maher that Christians are being systematically killed in Nigeria.

In a viral clip from his HBO show Real Time with Bill Maher, the host alleged that up to 500,000 Christians had been killed in the country, describing the situation as genocide. The video was amplified by international influencers, including Radio Genoa, an anti-Islamic personality on X.

Reacting in a statement on Sunday, Omokri described the figures as grossly exaggerated and inconsistent with global security data.

“According to the Institute’s 2024 Global Terrorism Index, a total of 8,352 people died from terror and insecurity last year. Even when you add this to the 36,000 civilians the United Nations says were killed by armed conflicts globally in the same year, you will agree with me that it is preposterous to allege that half a million Christians were killed in Nigeria, or Mr. Maher’s more conservative figure of 100,000,” Omokri said.

Insecurity Affects All Faiths

The former presidential aide stressed that both Christians and Muslims have suffered insecurity in Nigeria, noting that Muslims have borne the greater share of casualties in recent years.

Citing Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), he explained that between 2010 and 2023, 13,485 people died in such attacks, with “the vast majority being Muslims.”

“Terrorists initially sought to ignite a religious war but were frustrated by the maturity of Christian leaders,” Omokri added.

Propaganda Concerns

Omokri argued that exaggerations of casualty figures risk fueling division.

“The point of this treatise is simply to dispel the propaganda spread by either ignorant or mischievous persons about a genocide in Nigeria. Such a thing is the figment of the imagination of those making such wild and dangerous claims,” he said.

Wider Pushback

Emmynet24 News Media earlier reported that former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode and President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, had also dismissed Maher’s remarks.

Both leaders said the claims misrepresent Nigeria’s security realities, risk inflaming religious tensions, and undermine ongoing counterterrorism efforts.