PFN Condemns Gumi Over ‘Staged Funerals’ Claim, Calls Comment Insensitive And Dangerous

The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, has strongly criticised Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi for alleging that Christians in the Middle Belt were staging funerals by burying empty coffins to fabricate a narrative of genocide.
Describing the remarks as insensitive, irresponsible and morally reprehensible, the PFN said Gumi’s claims were baseless and dangerous, capable of deepening national tensions.
The cleric, in a recent comment, alleged that Christians in the region were organising fake burials to create the impression of targeted killings. His statement has since drawn widespread backlash.
In a rebuttal issued on Saturday and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr Sylvanus Ukafia, the PFN said Gumi’s assertion “collapses under the slightest scrutiny.”
According to the Christian body, funerals across Nigerian cultures — whether Christian, Muslim or traditional — are deeply rooted in identity, family and history, making the idea of mass fake burials illogical and insulting.
“There is no practice of burying empty coffins in any Nigerian culture,” the statement said. “Funerals are communal rites with real names, real families and real histories. The idea that entire communities are staging fake burials without a single whistleblower or inconsistency is not only illogical but deeply insulting.”
The PFN dismissed Gumi’s allegation for relying entirely on an unnamed “doctor” without verifiable details.
“If such mass staging truly occurred, who dug the graves? Who carried the coffins? Who filmed the events? Why has no participant, villager or bystander ever come forward?” the statement queried, stressing that public burials cannot be faked without multiple witnesses.
The fellowship further argued that Nigeria has recorded thousands of genuine victims of terrorism and banditry, documented by humanitarian groups, international observers and the media, making any suggestion of fabricated casualties unnecessary.
It added that Gumi’s comments form part of “a disturbing pattern” in which he downplays attacks on Christian communities.
“This is not analysis. It is propaganda,” the PFN declared, noting that the remarks appear strategically timed to counter rising global concern over violence in the Middle Belt, including condemnations by U.S. lawmakers.
The PFN warned that such misinformation trivialises real loss, fuels division and distracts from ongoing violence.
“We call for restraint, truthfulness and compassion in public commentary, especially on matters involving human lives and national security,” the statement concluded.
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