The Federal Government has accused foreign lobbyists, particularly in the United States, of promoting what it described as a misleading narrative of President Donald Trump’s “Christian genocide” in Nigeria.
The Minister of information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday that government investigations had uncovered links between these lobbyists and local influencers amplifying divisive stories about Nigeria’s security situation.
He said, “the Nigerian government has been able to see a correlation between some of the lobbyists operating especially in the US and the activities here in Nigeria, Idris said. Some of the influencers of these activities have direct relationship with lobbyists in the US, who have direct relationship with some of the people shouting about this issue (Christian genocide claims) outside this country.”
Idris stressed that while the government recognises the suffering of communities affected by insecurity, there is no evidence to suggest any organised persecution of Christians or any other religious group.
His comments come after Trump recently reclassified Nigeria as a “country of concern” over alleged killings of Christians and threatened to withdraw US aid if the attacks persist. Trump also warned he could deploy the department of war to target those “that attack our cherished Christians.”
Before Trump’s remarks, several US lawmakers had urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to take diplomatic measures against Nigeria for what they described as the “systematic persecution and slaughter of Christians.”
Idris dismissed such assertions as misinformation and faulty data, attributing the country’s insecurity to the instability spreading across the Sahel region.
It is important to restate that the menace of terrorism in Nigeria does not exclusively target any religious or ethnic group, he said. As in many parts of the world, extremism is mindless, blind to religion, tribe, or class. It is a war against all peace-loving Nigerians and against the unity and progress of our great nation.
The minister added that Nigeria’s armed forces and intelligence services consist of both Christians and Muslims working together to defeat terrorism.
Several leading personnel of the very dedicated Armed Forces of Nigeria and the country’s intelligence agencies are Christians, working and succeeding alongside their Muslim colleagues, he noted.
Idris reaffirmed that the Nigerian government remains committed to partnering with the United States and other friendly nations to achieve the complete elimination of terrorism on Nigerian soil.
Meanwhile, a member of the United States House of Representatives, Riley Moore, had slammed China for criticisng former President Donald Trump’s warning of potential military intervention in Nigeria to defend Christians facing persecution.
The New Daily Prime earlier reported Beijing had earlier condemned Trump’s statement, with Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stressing that “as Nigeria’s comprehensive strategic partner, China firmly opposes any country using religion and human rights as an excuse to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs, and threatening other countries with sanctions and force.”
Responding via X, Moore dismissed China’s objection, branding the Asian nation a “Communist autocracy.”
“President Trump is absolutely right to defend our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering horrific persecution, and even martyrdom, for their faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” Moore stated. “China will not dictate our foreign policy to us, and we will not be lectured to by a Communist autocracy that recently arrested 30 Christian pastors for their faith and throws ethnic minorities in concentration camps.”
