The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has strongly condemned recent remarks by Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi alleging that Christians in the Middle Belt were staging fake funerals and burying empty coffins to fabricate claims of genocide.
In a statement issued on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Sylvanus Ukafia, and titled “Rebuttal of Ahmad Gumi’s False and Dangerous Claim,” the Christian body described Gumi’s comments as baseless, inflammatory, illogical, and morally reprehensible.
Gumi had earlier claimed that Christians were orchestrating sham burials as part of an agenda to mislead the world about targeted killings in the region. But the PFN dismissed the allegation, noting that it collapses “under the slightest scrutiny.”
The statement read in part:
“We strongly condemn the recent statement by Ahmad Gumi alleging that Christians in the Middle Belt are ‘burying empty coffins’ to fabricate a narrative of genocide. This claim is baseless, inflammatory, and collapses under the slightest scrutiny.”
The PFN stressed that no Nigerian culture—Christian, Muslim, or traditional—practises the burial of empty coffins, describing funerals as identity-based rites rooted in real people, families and communities. It argued that the idea of entire villages staging fake burials without a whistleblower or inconsistencies is “illogical and deeply insulting.”
The group also faulted Gumi for relying on an unnamed “doctor” without any verifiable information—“no name, no location, no evidence, no photos, no timestamps”—which it described as hearsay masquerading as fact.
“If such mass staging truly occurred, who dug the graves? Who carried the coffins? Who filmed the events? Why has no participant or bystander ever come forward?” the statement queried, insisting that public burials cannot be faked without countless witnesses.
The PFN further observed that Gumi’s claim contradicted the well-documented reality that thousands of Nigerians—Christians and Muslims—have been killed by terrorism and banditry, with evidence corroborated by humanitarian agencies, media reports, and satellite imagery.
The body accused Gumi of engaging in propaganda aimed at downplaying targeted killings and delegitimising genuine suffering, especially amid growing international concern, including criticisms from U.S. lawmakers.
“Such misinformation trivialises real loss, fuels division, and distracts from ongoing violence,” the PFN warned. “To suggest that grieving communities are staging funerals is insensitive, irresponsible, and morally reprehensible.”
The fellowship urged public figures to exercise restraint, uphold truth, and show compassion when commenting on issues involving human lives and national security.
