The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has issued an apology to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Nigerians following backlash over an Easter message perceived as offensive.

In celebration of Easter Sunday, FIRS shared a flier on its social media platform, X, with the message: “Jesus paid your debts, not your taxes.”

CAN reacted strongly to the FIRS Easter post, demanding a public apology, citing offense to the Christian faith.

The post also sparked reactions from Nigerians.

On Tuesday, April 2, Dare Adekambi, Special Adviser on Media to FIRS Chairman Zacch Adedeji, clarified that the intention wasn’t to denigrate the significance of Easter but to engage taxpayers and remind them of their civic duty.

FIRS’s statement addressed the issue, stating, “Our attention has been drawn to a statement by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) about a flier posted on our social media platforms with the headline ‘Jesus paid your debts, not your taxes.'”

“As a responsible government agency, we would like to say we did not put out the flier purposely to denigrate Jesus Christ or detract from the huge sacrifice He made for humanity.”

“The message was our way of uniquely engaging taxpayers, to remind them of the need to prioritize payment of their taxes as a civic obligation.”

Acknowledging the unintended interpretation, FIRS expressed regret and offered an unreserved apology for any offense caused.

FIRS emphasized its neutrality towards religion and commitment to revenue collection for national development, pledging to uphold respect for all faiths.

“We wish to apologize to CAN and Christians who felt offended by the unintended consequence of our message on Easter Sunday,” the statement concluded.