Nigeria Not A Violator Of Religious Freedom – Minister Defends Country On CNN
In a world where perception often rivals reality, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has moved to set the record straight on global platforms about the country’s stance on religious freedom.
Appearing on CNN on Tuesday night, Idris dismissed what he described as “faulty assumptions” by some foreign officials, particularly from the United States, suggesting that terrorists in Nigeria target only Christians.
He insisted that such claims distort the nation’s complex security realities and undermine the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion.
“Some of these claims are based on faulty data,” Idris said. “Yes, Christians are being attacked, but these criminals do not target one religion.
They target Christians, they also target Muslims. We have seen that especially in the northern part of the country.”
He warned that those promoting such divisive narratives are inadvertently helping the criminals achieve their goal, to incite religious conflict.
“Characterising it as attacks on Christians will drive Nigeria towards division,” he cautioned. “The criminals want to portray the country as if there is a fight between Christians and Muslims.”
Idris maintained that Nigeria remains a highly tolerant nation where freedom of worship is respected, stressing that false narratives of intolerance could deepen mistrust among citizens.
While acknowledging Nigeria’s lingering security challenges, the Minister noted that the Tinubu administration has intensified efforts to make the nation safer through both military action and socio-economic investments.
“In the last two years, there has been a renewed focus to ensure that Nigeria becomes safe,” he said. “There is a massive deployment of resources to improve military hardware, as well as investments in agriculture and social services to stabilise the country.”
He added that recent changes in the military leadership demonstrate the government’s resolve to strengthen the nation’s security architecture and ensure peace for all citizens.
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