The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has refuted claims by some foreign officials that terrorists operating in Nigeria exclusively target Christians, stating that such narratives are misleading and inaccurate.
Speaking on CNN yesterday night, the minister clarified the nation’s security challenges, emphasising that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of religion and that the country is highly tolerant.
Idris argued that some claims, particularly from certain United States officials, are based on “faulty data and some assumptions that the victims of this violence are largely Christians.”
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He stated: “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 cautioned that promoting a narrative of religious intolerance plays into the hands of criminals whose primary goal is to incite conflict between Nigeria’s Christian and Muslim populations.
“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,”Idris warned.
He insisted that while attacks on both Christians and Muslims have occurred, it is wrong to label Nigeria as a country that suppresses religious freedom or to claim that the entire nation is unsafe.
Idris acknowledged the existence of security challenges, which he noted the country has been grappling with since 2009.
However, he stressed a “renewed focus” and sustained commitment by the Tinubu administration to decisively tackle these threats and ensure the safety of all citizens.
He highlighted the government’s recent measures, stating, “In the last two years, there has been a renewed focus and renewed attention has been put to ensure that Nigeria becomes safe. We have a massive deployment of resources to improve our military hardware.”
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The minister added that the government is also investing in non-kinetic approaches, such as agriculture and social services, to promote stability.
He stated that recent changes in service chiefs are all designed “towards strengthening our security architecture to ensure that the government responds to every situation.”
