HURIWA debunks New York Times report on the genocide of Christians
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has dismissed the New York Times story, on genocide in Nigeria, describing it as not only uneducated and unintelligent but alleged propaganda by the Federal Government.
…accuses the Nigerian government of frittering $9 million on empty propaganda
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has dismissed the New York Times story, on genocide in Nigeria, describing it as not only uneducated and unintelligent but alleged propaganda by the Federal Government.
HURIWA wondered how the New York Times would quote an unidentified screwdriver trader based in Onitsha Anambra State as the source of its information on the genocide against Christians in Nigeria by Islamic terrorists.
According to HURIWA, in a statement signed by its its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the news report circulating in the Nigerian local press reportedly culled from a New York Times so-called exclusive report which attempted to ruin the reputation of the Executive Director of the Onitsha based Intersociety one of Nigeria’s most respected civil rights organisations, is a direct fallout of the $9 million lobbying payment made by the Federal Government as reported previously by the Nigerian media.
According to HURIWA, in a statement signed by its its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the news report circulating in the Nigerian local press reportedly culled from a New York Times so-called exclusive report which attempted to ruin the reputation of the Executive Director of the Onitsha based Intersociety one of Nigeria’s most respected civil rights organisations, is a direct fallout of the $9 million lobbying payment made by the Federal Government as reported previously by the Nigerian media.
IHURIWA had described that it was nonsensical that the same government that denied that Christians were the targets of attacks genocide by armed Islamic terrorists had decided to fritter $9 million USD on the meaningless venture to explain to the United States of America what the government was doing for Christians.
HURIWA further stated that the US media was twisting the facts and reporting matters according to the lobbying contract document filed with the US Department of Justice, Aster Legal, a law firm in Kaduna State, which hired the services of DCI Group on behalf of the National Security Advisor, Nuhu Ribadu.
According to the agreement, signed by the Managing Partner of Aster Legal Oyetunji Olalekan Teslim and Managing member of DCI group, Justin Peterson, on December 17, 2025, the American lobbying firm is expected to “assist the Nigerian government through Aster Legal in communicating its actions to protect Nigerian Christian communities and maintaining U.S support in countering West African jihadist groups and other destabilizing elements.”
HURIWA further stated that the US media was twisting the facts and reporting matters according to the lobbying contract document filed with the US Department of Justice, Aster Legal, a law firm in Kaduna State, which hired the services of DCI Group on behalf of the National Security Advisor, Nuhu Ribadu.
According to the agreement, signed by the Managing Partner of Aster Legal Oyetunji Olalekan Teslim and Managing member of DCI group, Justin Peterson, on December 17, 2025, the American lobbying firm is expected to “assist the Nigerian government through Aster Legal in communicating its actions to protect Nigerian Christian communities and maintaining U.S support in countering West African jihadist groups and other destabilizing elements.”
HURIWA further debunked the information that the United States relied on information and reports from Emeka Umeagbalasi, a screwdriver trader in Onitsha, Anambra State, to launch air strikes in Nigeria, as reported by the New York Times .
The New York Times story, as is being paraded by some sections of the local press in Nigeria, reportedly highlighted how Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi, a small screwdriver trader in Onitsha, who doubles as a civil society activist, became an influential — and controversial — source for U.S. politicians, including Senator Ted Cruz, in pushing the narrative that Christians are being deliberately targeted for “genocide” in Nigeria.
In October, US President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” in response to allegations of a Christian genocide in the country.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed,” Trump said, blaming radical Islamists for the “mass slaughter”.
A month later, he threatened that the US department of war would invade Nigeria “guns-a-blazing”, to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists if the Nigerian government did nothing to curtail the alleged genocide.
On December 26, the US launched air strikes on ISIS terrorists in Sokoto state “at the request of Nigerian authorities.”
According to the report, Umeagbalasi, founder of the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, otherwise called Intersociety, is “an unlikely source of research that U.S. Republican lawmakers have used to promote the misleading idea that Christians are being singled out for slaughter” in Nigeria.
Umeagbalasi, alongside his wife, run the non-governmental organisation from his home.
HURIWA however dismissed the news coverage by New York Times as a soft tissue of lies packaged by the paid propagandists that picked up the generous pay package from the president Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration just as HURIWA said the sources of information about the persistent killings of Christians by Islamists and the abductions, assassination of Christian clerics are reported accurately periodically by Nigerian newspapers based on actual happenings of these attacks like the killing of over 50 worshippers at the Catholic Church in Owo, Osun state in which case the Department of State Services is even prosecuting the masterminds of that dastardly attacks on Christians.
Furthermore, HURIWA said the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of MakurdiMost Reberend Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe amongst several credible Pastors, honoured several invitations by the United States of America’s Congressional panel that heard testimonies about the incessant killings and indeed the genocidal killings of Christians in Nigeria by Islamic terrorists just as HURIWA reminded the New York Times that the Congressional members from the USA Congress visited many sites of these attacks on Churches in Nigeria in many Northern States and took interviews with survivors of these ongoing attacks even as these delegates reportedly briefed the President of the USA.
The New York Times story, as is being paraded by some sections of the local press in Nigeria, reportedly highlighted how Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi, a small screwdriver trader in Onitsha, who doubles as a civil society activist, became an influential — and controversial — source for U.S. politicians, including Senator Ted Cruz, in pushing the narrative that Christians are being deliberately targeted for “genocide” in Nigeria.
In October, US President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” in response to allegations of a Christian genocide in the country.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed,” Trump said, blaming radical Islamists for the “mass slaughter”.
A month later, he threatened that the US department of war would invade Nigeria “guns-a-blazing”, to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists if the Nigerian government did nothing to curtail the alleged genocide.
On December 26, the US launched air strikes on ISIS terrorists in Sokoto state “at the request of Nigerian authorities.”
According to the report, Umeagbalasi, founder of the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, otherwise called Intersociety, is “an unlikely source of research that U.S. Republican lawmakers have used to promote the misleading idea that Christians are being singled out for slaughter” in Nigeria.
Umeagbalasi, alongside his wife, run the non-governmental organisation from his home.
HURIWA however dismissed the news coverage by New York Times as a soft tissue of lies packaged by the paid propagandists that picked up the generous pay package from the president Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration just as HURIWA said the sources of information about the persistent killings of Christians by Islamists and the abductions, assassination of Christian clerics are reported accurately periodically by Nigerian newspapers based on actual happenings of these attacks like the killing of over 50 worshippers at the Catholic Church in Owo, Osun state in which case the Department of State Services is even prosecuting the masterminds of that dastardly attacks on Christians.
Furthermore, HURIWA said the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of MakurdiMost Reberend Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe amongst several credible Pastors, honoured several invitations by the United States of America’s Congressional panel that heard testimonies about the incessant killings and indeed the genocidal killings of Christians in Nigeria by Islamic terrorists just as HURIWA reminded the New York Times that the Congressional members from the USA Congress visited many sites of these attacks on Churches in Nigeria in many Northern States and took interviews with survivors of these ongoing attacks even as these delegates reportedly briefed the President of the USA.
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