Nigeria Not Violating Religious Freedom – Minister

The minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has dismissed insinuations that the Nigerian government violates religious freedoms.

He added that the President Bola Tinubu-led administration is committed to addressing security challenges in the country in order to ensure the safety and well-being of all citizens.

Speaking on CNN on Tuesday, Idris dismissed claims by some foreign officials suggesting that terrorists in Nigeria target only Christians, describing such assertions as misleading and not reflective of the country’s complex security realities, and the fact that the right to freedom of religion is enshrined in the nation’s constitution.

“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,” he said.

Those purveying such narratives, he added, are unwittingly playing into the hands of criminals whose ultimate objective is to incite conflict between Christians and Muslims in the country.

Idris stressed that Nigeria remains a highly tolerant nation with respect to freedom of religion, warning that promoting a false narrative of intolerance could inadvertently sow division between Christians and Muslims in the country.

“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 characterize 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,” he said.

The minister acknowledged that while security challenges exist in the country, the government is 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 noted that Nigeria has been grappling with security challenges since 2009, but explained that in the past two years, there has been renewed momentum and determination to eradicate these threats.

“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. We have also seen investments in other sectors such as agriculture and social services to ensure that the non-kinetic approach contributes to the stability of our country.

“Even the recent changes (of service chiefs) are all geared towards strengthening our security architecture to ensure that the government responds to every situation,” he stated.