United States Envoy to Nigeria, Richard Mills, has cautioned against framing terrorist attacks in the country along religious lines, saying victims of insurgency and violence cut across faiths, tribes and regions, and there are more Muslim victims.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, the envoy described any loss of life as “absolutely unfortunate,” stressing that terrorism recognises no religion or ethnicity.
“Any incident, any loss of life is absolutely unfortunate. Those who know the terrain well definitely know terrorism has no value, no religion, no tribe,” the envoy said, “People of all religions, all tribes are dying as a result of terrorist acts. It’s very unfortunate, we even know that Boko Haram and ISIS are killing more Muslims than Christians. So people are suffering from all sorts of backgrounds; this is not specifically targeted at one group or the other. However, any loss of life is one too many, and we should work together in partnership to put an end to this.”
The remarks came amid renewed debate over the religious dimensions of insecurity in Nigeria, following recent comments by the U.S. Senator Ted Cruz who alleged that Christians were being targeted and killed in the country.
Responding to the claims, the envoy emphasised that the violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and other conflict zones was often driven by complex socio-economic and communal factors rather than religion.
“With regard to the incident that happened in the Middle Belt, for example, where most of these farmers are relocated, and many happen to be Christians, there have been clashes with some herdsmen. But it’s not something we can say is specifically targeted at a specific group,” the envoy said.
He commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for recent efforts to bolster security and reduce attacks in affected regions.
“We must work together to put an end to this. Nigeria’s government and President Tinubu’s administration have recently taken additional measures and put more resources in these areas, and we’ve seen some improvement in recent weeks. We appreciate those measures and definitely look forward to more,” he said.
Reaffirming America’s commitment to Nigeria’s unity and peace, the envoy lauded the country’s long-standing tradition of religious coexistence.
“Nigeria is a country in which all sorts of religious, ethnic, tribal and other groups have lived together in harmony for centuries. The population is split roughly 50–50 between Christians and Muslims, but this has never been an issue and it should never be,” he added.
