The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has reaffirmed that Nigeria remains a safe country, despite ongoing security challenges in parts of the nation.
Speaking during an interview with CNN, Idris addressed concerns about alleged genocidal attacks against Christians, describing such claims as misleading and unrepresentative of Nigeria’s overall security and religious landscape.
He explained that both Christians and Muslims have suffered attacks from criminal and extremist elements, insisting that it is inaccurate to portray Nigeria as intolerant of religious freedom.
“Nigeria is not that bad. Yes, we have seen attacks on some Christians; we have also seen attacks on Muslims as well,” Idris said. “But it’s wrong to characterise Nigeria as a country that does not tolerate religious freedom.”
The minister further rejected claims that the entire country is unsafe, maintaining that while certain regions have experienced insecurity, the government has made significant progress in restoring peace and stability.
“It’s also wrong to say everywhere is not safe in Nigeria. Nigeria is indeed a safe country, but we do recognise that we have security challenges in the Northeast,” he explained.
According to Idris, the Nigerian military and security agencies have reclaimed territories previously occupied by the Boko Haram insurgency. “Once upon a time, some of the territories in the Northeast were taken over by Boko Haram, but that is no longer the case. They were holding about 14 local governments at a time, but that is no longer the case,” he said.
He added that the government continues to prioritise the protection of lives and property while ensuring that citizens can travel and conduct their businesses freely across the country.
Idris also criticised some recent assessments by foreign officials, suggesting that their conclusions were drawn from “faulty data” that do not accurately reflect the current security situation in Nigeria.
