The federal government has again faulted some US officials for allegedly using faulty assumptions and data to assert that terrorist elements in Nigeria were targeting Christians.
It said purveyors of such narratives were unwittingly playing into the hands of criminals whose ultimate objective was to incite conflict between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria. Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this in an interview on CNN Tuesday night.
Idris emphasised the concerted moves by the Tinubu administration to tackle the country’s security challenges to guarantee the safety and well-being of all citizens.
He said, in a statement by his media aide, Rabiu Ibrahim, that Nigeria was not a violator of religious freedom.
The minister described the notion as a fallacy that did not reflect the country’s complex security realities and the right to freedom of religion enshrined in the Nigerian constitution.
He portrayed Nigeria as a highly tolerant country that respected freedom of religion, warning that promoting a false narrative of intolerance can inadvertently sow division between Christians and Muslims in the country.
Idris said in the statement, “Characterising it as attacks on Christians will drive Nigeria towards division. The criminals want to portray the country as if there is a fight between Christians and Muslims.
“We have seen attacks on Christians. We have also seen attacks on Muslims as well. But it is also wrong to characterise Nigeria as a country that does not tolerate religious freedom, and it’s also wrong to say that everywhere is not safe in Nigeria. Nigeria is, indeed, a safe country.
“Some of the claims made by some officials of the United States are based on faulty data and some assumptions that the victims of this violence are largely Christians.
“Yes! There are Christians being attacked, but these criminals do not just target one religion. They target Christians. They also target Muslims. We have seen that especially in the northern part of the country.”
The minister acknowledged that while security challenges existed in the country, the government was tackling them decisively and with sustained commitment.
“Yes, indeed, we have seen security challenges in Nigeria, but we also have to recognize that there is a massive drive by the government to ensure that Nigeria is ultimately safe for everyone,” he said.
He stated that Nigeria had been grappling with security challenges since 2009, but explained that in the past two years, there had been sustained momentum and determination to eradicate the threats.
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