The Federal Government has rejected the United States’ decision to label Nigeria a “country of particular concern” over alleged violations of religious freedom, describing the move as based on misinformation and a misunderstanding of the nation’s security realities.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made this known on Wednesday in Abuja, stressing that Nigeria’s security challenges are not rooted in religion.
“Nigeria faces long-standing security issues that have affected both Christians and Muslims alike. Any claim that the government is turning a blind eye to religious attacks is based on faulty data and misrepresentation,” Idris said.
He noted that since President Bola Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, security forces have intensified operations across the country neutralising more than 13,500 terrorists, arresting over 17,000 suspects, and rescuing more than 9,850 abducted persons, including women and children.
According to the minister, the government has also made significant progress in controlling the proliferation of small arms and disarming non-state actors.
“Security agencies have recovered thousands of illegal weapons and dismantled several terror networks,” he added.
Idris highlighted that terrorism in Nigeria is driven by multiple factors including the influx of illegal arms from the Sahel, the aftermath of the Libyan crisis, climate change, and farmer–herder conflicts all of which must be viewed in a broader regional context.
He further stated that Tinubu’s administration has overhauled the nation’s security architecture by appointing new service chiefs, boosting defence spending, and acquiring modern equipment.
Citing the Global Terrorism Index, the minister said Nigeria is now recording its lowest level of terror incidents in more than a decade. Several high-profile terror leaders, he said, have been eliminated, while others are currently facing prosecution.
“Nigeria welcomes dialogue and cooperation with all partners, including the United States,” Idris said. “However, our situation must not be seen through a narrow or inaccurate religious lens.”
He added that President Tinubu is already engaging diplomatic channels to clarify the situation and correct what he described as “a misjudgment of Nigeria’s reality.”
“We remain open to collaboration with the international community to achieve the shared goal of ending terrorism and violent extremism in Nigeria,” Idris concluded.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that former US President Donald Trump warned he could deploy American forces to Nigeria if alleged attacks on Christians continue. Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump also threatened to suspend US aid should the Nigerian government fail to address the issue.
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