Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has firmly rejected allegations by some U.S. lawmakers that a Christian genocide is unfolding in Nigeria, calling the claims “misleading” and based on flawed data.
The accusations emerged after several American legislators, including Senator Marco Rubio, urged the U.S. State Department to take diplomatic measures against Nigeria over what they described as the “systematic persecution and slaughter of Christians.”
In a CNN interview aired Tuesday night, Idris emphasized that Nigeria’s security challenges are far more complex than portrayed and that violent attacks are not religiously motivated. “These criminals do not discriminate they target both Christians and Muslims, particularly in the northern regions,” he stated.
A follow-up statement released Wednesday by his Special Assistant on Media, Rabiu Ibrahim, reinforced the Minister’s stance. Idris criticized the U.S. officials for relying on “faulty data” and warned that such narratives risk inflaming sectarian tensions.
“Yes, Christians have been victims, but so have Muslims,” Idris noted. “Portraying the violence as one-sided only deepens division and plays into the hands of those who seek to destabilize our nation.”
He reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to upholding religious freedom, human rights, and democratic values, asserting that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of worship for all citizens.
Idris cautioned that framing Nigeria’s insecurity as a religious conflict could dangerously polarize the country. “Mischaracterizing these attacks as targeting Christians alone is not only inaccurate but also harmful to national unity,” he warned.
The Minister’s remarks come amid growing international scrutiny of Nigeria’s internal security issues, but he urged global partners to approach the situation with nuance and factual accuracy.
