The federal government on Friday countered the narrative that Christians were being targeted for killing in parts of Nigeria, stating that the narrative was the work of fifth columnists who want Nigeria to be designated a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) by the international community.
The government made this known in a statement by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa.
Also reacting to the development, former Interior Minister and a retired Military General, Abdulrahman Dambazau, vehemently countered claims made by the US Congress regarding the persecution of Christians in Nigeria, asserting that Muslims, particularly in the North, are disproportionately affected by the ongoing security crisis.
The remarks came in response to United States Congressional hearings and potential sanctions authorised by President Donald Trump, which were prompted by reports of increased killings of Christians in Nigeria.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the statement expressed strong concern over the recent wave of misinformation and misleading reports regarding the supposed targeted killings of Christians in Nigeria. It noted that the unfortunate development was intended to influence foreign governments, especially the United States Government, to designate Nigeria a CPC.
It added: “While the federal government acknowledges the security challenges confronting the nation, it is imperative to clarify that these negative activities are not driven by religious bias, nor targeted against any particular religious group.
“It should be noted that the majority of incidents relating to insurgency and banditry that occur in the predominantly Muslim northern part of Nigeria are not targeted at followers of a particular faith or religion. Any narrative that seeks to give such incidents a coloration of religious persecution is erroneous and misleading.”
According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, “Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation and the government remains committed to protecting the lives and properties of all citizens, irrespective of faith, ethnicity, or gender.
“The security issues in Nigeria are complex and multifaceted and manifest as criminality, terrorism and communal clashes – including farmer/herder confrontation, that do not have any religious connotation.”
The statement added that: “The government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has taken significant steps to address these security concerns, including the deployment of security forces, intelligence gathering and community engagement initiatives.
“Indeed, the military has recorded substantial gains in curtailing the activities of bandits and insurgents. To bring an end to such security challenges, both the Federal and State authorities have embarked on kinetic and non-kinetic methods and expedited the implementation of the national livestock plan.
“To this end, a Ministry of Livestock Development has been established while a Special Adviser and Coordinator of Livestock Reforms, has been appointed to find sustainable solutions to pastoral farming, with a view to end contestations over land, between farmers and pastoral herders.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs therefore urged the international community to exercise caution and verify information before drawing conclusions or making statements that could exacerbate tensions within Nigeria.
“We call on all stakeholders, including the media, civil society organisations and foreign partners, to refrain from spreading unverified claims that could undermine national unity and stability.
“Nigeria remains a beacon of religious tolerance and coexistence in Africa and is committed to preserving this heritage.
“We welcome constructive dialogue and support from the international community in addressing our security challenges. However, we strongly reject any attempts to wrongly designate the country, distort the narrative, or sow seeds of discord among our people,” it added.
In the same vein, speaking to THISDAY, Dambazau, a retired Lieutenant General and former Chief of Army Staff, argued that the US Congress mischaracterised the nature of the conflict, driven by a misunderstanding of the realities on the ground.
He maintained that the insecurity plaguing Nigeria, characterised by banditry, terrorism, and communal violence, was not primarily rooted in religious persecution.
“The US Congress got it wrong,” Dambazau stated. “While it’s true that churches and Christian pastors have been attacked, mosques and Islamic clerics have not been spared. The vast majority of victims, especially in the Northeast, are Muslims.”
He cited the situation in Zamfara State, a region heavily impacted by banditry, as a prime example. “The concentration of this violence is in Zamfara, where 99 percent of the population are Muslims. We hear of dozens of Muslims being killed almost weekly by these bandits,” Dambazau emphasised. “To portray this as Christian persecution is a gross misrepresentation of the facts.”
Furthermore, Dambazau criticised persons like Bishop Matthew Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, who allegedly testified before the US Congress.
Dambazau argued that Kukah’s portrayal of the situation as a government-driven campaign against Christians was inaccurate and divisive.
“It is not about religion,” Dambazau asserted. “It is about the fact that these victims are Nigerians, and they require protection against these horrible people. They make it look as if it is a systemic issue, that maybe the government is coming out, as a matter of policy, to persecute these people. That is wrong.”
According to the former Minister, ‘‘My stance is supported by data indicating that the epicentres of violence, such as the Northeast and Northwest, have predominantly Muslim populations.
“Reports of mass killings and kidnappings in these regions often involve Muslim victims. While precise, universally agreed-upon statistics on religious demographics of victims are difficult to obtain due to the fluid nature of the conflict and challenges in data collection, reports from various sources consistently highlight that muslim communities are heavily impacted.”
Dambazau has called for a more nuanced understanding of the security situation in Nigeria, urging the US Congress to consider the broader context of poverty, inequality, and governance failures. He warned that imposing sanctions based on a flawed understanding of the conflict could have unintended consequences and exacerbate existing tensions.
Quoting the post on his X handle@mypd2020 on Friday, Dambazau said, “To impede the progress of a country like Nigeria has been made easy mainly by using the religious and ethnic fault lines.
“The fed to the US Congress by religious leaders from Nigeria that the insurgency and banditry is targeting only Christians is unfortunate. The same US Congress recently said that the USAID , a US-based agency, is the main sponsor of Boko Haram and other terrorist organisations.
“The question is, who is killing the Muslims and displacing them in their thousands and millions? IS it a USAID project or those making the false accusations or both? Nigerians should learn to approach and solve their problems, while US solve theirs, otherwise, we remain in perpetual stagnation.”
