UN Envoy Raises Alarm Over Insecurity, Religious Freedom Concerns In Nigeria

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Prof. Nazila Ghanea, has raised fresh concerns over Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, warning that persistent violence, mass displacement, kidnappings and attacks on communities were undermining fundamental rights and deepening religious tensions across the country.

Presenting her preliminary findings at the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Abuja on Friday following a 12-day fact-finding mission to Nigeria, Ghanea said insecurity dominated virtually every engagement her team held with government officials, religious leaders, civil society groups and victims.

The Oxford University professor, who met with more than 200 stakeholders in Abuja, Jos and Kano, said widespread killings, banditry, terrorism, kidnappings, destruction of places of worship and attacks on schools have created a climate of fear that threatens freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

She noted that while Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and belief, many communities continued to suffer repeated attacks, displacement and loss of livelihoods, often with little accountability for perpetrators.

According to her, victims across different parts of the country repeatedly complained of inadequate protection by security agencies and the absence of justice after attacks, a situation she said has fuelled feelings of persecution among affected populations.

Ghanea observed that narratives portraying Nigeria as sharply divided into a “Muslim North” and “Christian South” oversimplify the country’s complex realities and risk deepening polarisation. She warned that such perceptions could limit citizens’ freedom to define and express their beliefs independently.

The UN envoy also expressed concern over the continued requirement for applicants to disclose their religion in several official processes, including job applications, school admissions and recruitment exercises, arguing that such practices reinforce religious identity as a dominant organising principle in society and may encourage discrimination.

While acknowledging differing interpretations of the causes of violent conflicts across the country, she said some stakeholders viewed the atrocities as religiously motivated, while others pointed to factors such as land disputes, economic competition, climate pressures and criminality. Regardless of the cause, she stressed that victims’ experiences and demands for justice must not be ignored.

Ghanea further cautioned against the growing reliance on vigilante groups and self-help security arrangements, warning that the proliferation of armed groups could create additional risks and contribute to the spread of weapons. She however praised community policing initiatives, interfaith dialogue programmes and local peace-building efforts as promising models for strengthening security and social cohesion.

The Special Rapporteur also highlighted concerns over blasphemy laws and the tensions arising from Nigeria’s plural legal systems, noting that some state-level laws appear to conflict with constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression, non-discrimination and religious liberty. She said these issues would receive detailed attention in her final report.

Despite the challenges, Ghanea commended the resilience of Nigerian civil society, religious leaders and victims who continue to advocate peace and human rights. She expressed confidence that Nigeria possesses the expertise and human capital required to safeguard freedom of religion and belief for all citizens.

Her final report on Nigeria’s freedom of religion and belief landscape is expected to be presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council in March 2027.