Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
As allegations of Christian genocide in Nigeria continue to draw global attention, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has accused United States lawmakers of relying on false and misleading data to indict the country.
The Minister, who featured on a CNN interview Tuesday night, said the lawmakers’ claims “do not reflect the complexity of Nigeria’s security situation.”
Idris’ defence was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by his Special Assistant on Media, Rabiu Ibrahim.
It read: “Some of the claims made by officials of the United States are based on faulty data and the assumption that victims of violence are largely Christians,” the minister said.
“Yes, there are Christians being attacked, but these criminals do not target one religion — they attack both Christians and Muslims, especially in the northern part of the country.”
Idris was responding to calls by some U.S. legislators urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to take diplomatic action against the Nigerian government over what they described as “systematic persecution and slaughter of Christians.”
Rejecting the genocide claim, Idris maintained that Nigeria remains committed to religious freedom, human rights, and democracy. He stressed that freedom of religion is guaranteed under the Nigerian Constitution and must be respected by all citizens.
The minister cautioned that framing the country’s insecurity as a religious war could deepen national divisions and play into the hands of criminals seeking to inflame tensions.
“Characterising these attacks as being against Christians alone will drive Nigeria towards unnecessary division,” he warned.
“The criminals want to portray the situation as a fight between Christians and Muslims — it is wrong to describe Nigeria as a country that does not tolerate religious freedom.”
While acknowledging that Nigeria faces serious security challenges, Idris said President Bola Tinubu’s administration has renewed efforts to tackle terrorism, banditry, and other violent crimes.
“Yes, we have security issues in Nigeria, but the government has made massive investments to ensure safety for everyone,” he added.
Idris insisted that Nigeria remains a tolerant nation where people of different faiths coexist peacefully and urged foreign partners to rely on accurate information when assessing the country’s internal security situation.
