The Nigerian government has refuted claims that Christians are being specifically targeted by bandits and insurgents in the North-East and North-Western regions of the country.
This follows reports that the United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa authorized President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Nigeria over alleged widespread killings of Christians and escalating religious violence. The decision came after a congressional hearing on Wednesday, where lawmakers condemned the Nigerian government for its failure to protect Christian communities from increasing violence.
The committee also referenced a 2024 report by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa, which claimed that Nigerians accounted for 90 percent of the world’s Christian fatalities each year.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the reports, describing them as part of a misleading campaign aimed at influencing foreign governments, particularly the United States, to label Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” due to violence against Christians.
Kimiebi Ebienfa, Acting Spokesperson for the Ministry, stressed, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly refutes the recent wave of misinformation regarding the supposed targeted killings of Christians in Nigeria.”
Ebienfa further clarified that while Nigeria faces significant security challenges, these incidents are not driven by religious bias. “The majority of incidents related to insurgency and banditry in northern Nigeria, which is predominantly Muslim, are not aimed at any particular religious group. Any suggestion of religious persecution is erroneous and misleading.”
The statement reaffirmed that Nigeria is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious nation, and the government remains committed to safeguarding the rights of all its citizens, irrespective of their faith or ethnicity.
Highlighting the government’s ongoing efforts to address security issues, Ebienfa pointed to military operations against insurgents and bandits, as well as initiatives to address communal conflicts, such as those between farmers and herders.
“The Nigerian government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has taken significant steps to tackle security challenges, including the deployment of security forces, intelligence operations, and community engagement,” Ebienfa noted. “The military has made substantial progress in reducing the activities of bandits and insurgents.”
To address these challenges, both federal and state authorities have adopted a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic strategies, and the national livestock plan is being expedited.
The government called on the international community to verify information before making statements that could escalate tensions in Nigeria. It urged media outlets, civil society organizations, and foreign partners to refrain from spreading unverified claims, emphasizing the importance of promoting national unity and stability.
