In a meeting with diplomatic corps members held yesterday in Abuja, the federal government addressed claims of religious persecution in Nigeria and rejected the US’s designation of the country as a country of particular concern, stating categorically that Nigeria does not target any group based on faith.
At a diplomatic briefing in Abuja, Dunoma Ahmed, permanent secretary of the ministry of foreign affairs, told The PUNCH that accusations of religious persecution were based on a misunderstanding of the country’s social and legal systems.
According to Ahmed, all communities in Nigeria are protected equally by the country’s secular laws. He made it clear that blasphemy was not a crime under the country’s legal system and that the Shari’a laws that were in place in certain northern areas were exclusive to Muslims and were overseen by the secular court system.
He stated that both Christian and Muslim organizations are still actively working to promote peaceful coexistence.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Mohammed Idris, Nigeria’s minister of information and national orientation, also criticized the US categorization of the country, calling it the result of “misrepresentation and misinformation.”
There is no theological justification for the country’s violent acts, including terrorism and banditry, says Idris.
There is no specific religious group that is the target of criminal activity or acts of terrorism. He insisted that the matter at hand was one of criminality and not religion.
More than 13,500 terrorists have been neutralized, over 17,000 suspects have been detained, and over 9,850 abducted victims, including women and children, have been rescued, according to the ministry, since President Bola Tinubu took office in May 2023.
In his statement, he boasted that since Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, the Nigerian security forces have successfully apprehended over 17,000 individuals, including over 13,500 terrorists, and are currently in the process of questioning and prosecuting them for a range of offenses.
Additionally, over 9,850 individuals, including children and women, who were kidnapped by these terrorists have been freed and reunited with their families. Keep in mind that no particular religion or ethnic community in Nigeria is safe from the threat of terrorism.
Additionally, he clarified that the president was using diplomatic avenues to respond to Washington’s concerns and rectify what he called a “misjudgment of Nigeria’s reality.”
A total eradication of terrorism and violent extremism on Nigerian soil is a common objective, and the Nigerian government is ready and eager to collaborate closely with other nations to reach this common goal. The president has campaigned on a platform of eliminating threats to national security.
“President Tinubu is leading the effort to address all areas of misunderstanding through diplomatic and political channels regarding the current misrepresentation of Nigeria’s security situation by the United States,” he added.
Nigeria does not dispute the existence of significant security issues, but it does welcome cooperation, aid, and engagement from all international allies, including the US. Please help us recognize the gravity of the situation and rally behind our efforts to eradicate this threat by sharing this information with your friends and associates.
Trump is signed by Keyamo
Festus Keyamo, Nigeria’s minister of aviation and aerospace development, has written to US President Trump to refute allegations of Christian targeted killings in the country.
Keyamo expressed his desire to reply “as a Christian and as a public official” in a letter he published on Tuesday using his verified X handle. He made the case that Christians in Nigeria are not really facing systematic persecution and pointed out that even members of President Tinubu’s close family are Christians.
It is inappropriate to base foreign policy decisions on the exaggerated and inaccurate story of Christian genocide, argues Keyamo.
Recalling his background, the minister mentioned that he had dedicated a significant portion of his career to fighting for the rights of oppressed people. This dedication, he claimed, was what ultimately led to him receiving the Global Human Rights Award in 2017 in Washington, DC, from the United States Global Leadership Council, which was then chaired by Dr. Reuben Egolf.
Although Tinubu is a Muslim, Trump was informed by Keyamo that his record of religious tolerance includes his wife Oluremi Tinubu’s work as a pastor in one of Nigeria’s biggest Pentecostal churches and the fact that Tinubu’s children are practicing Christians.
Speaking about President Tinubu, he mentioned that he is considered to be moderate. When Tinubu was governor of Lagos state, he often had Christian pastors come to the government house for prayer and worship. He would never knowingly support or even consider making the persecution of Christians a state policy.
Federal Government Warned by Olurode
The Federal Government should proceed with caution in its interaction with the US, according to Prof. Lai Olurode, a former National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Yesterday, Olurode issued a statement urging Nigeria to respond to the US designation and Trump’s remarks with diplomacy and not with defensive or emotionally driven patriotism.
An ex-sociology professor from the University of Lagos, Olurode, speculated that Trump would “even be angry with the truth.”
In reaction to President Trump’s provocative actions, President Tinubu’s administration should show decorum and respect for the most powerful nation in a unipolar globe, Olurode continued, offering specific suggestions for how the FG could react to Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern. This is a trap that Nigeria is leading itself into; it shouldn’t become a battlefield.
At the same time, I beg the Nigerian elite to put aside their differences and rally the country behind President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian government. In the event of Nigeria’s collapse, our varied ambitions will be left without a nation to pursue.
It would appear that the United States of America has no rivals. Instead of acting irrationally or showing signs of extreme patriotism, we should be diplomatic. Anger at the truth can be directed at President Trump. With the knowledge that the United States can smash Nigeria’s flies with a sledgehammer, our administration has proceeded cautiously thus far. Entering America’s death trap is an act of suicide.
Advice from Enang to the Government
On Wednesday, Senator Ita Enang, a former presidential adviser, warned the FG against acting rashly in response to the US threat.
Ex-President Donald Trump’s alleged warning of harsher actions in response to a perceived disregard for Washington’s concerns sparked heated debate over the issue in Nigeria.
According to Enang, who spoke with journalists in Abuja, the issue should not be addressed by government officials in a spontaneous or unplanned manner because of the severe foreign policy implications it held.
“This is a delicate diplomatic matter that demands extreme care,” he said. “It is unacceptable for any government official to make comments that could escalate the situation or give the false impression of Nigeria’s stance.”
Former Special Advisor to Ex-President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Enang, has called for a coordinated national response from the executive branch, the foreign ministry, the intelligence community, and the legislature.
In addition, he suggested that the National Assembly’s lower and upper houses hold a combined session to pass a coordinated resolution, so that Nigeria can speak “with one national voice.”
When the topic shifted to domestic issues, Enang bemoaned the fact that the federal government is “fiscally overstretched” financially while state and local governments receive larger allocations from the Federation Account.
He stated truthfully that the federal government is bankrupt.
Due to its insufficient proportion of national revenue, it is unable to fulfill its constitutional duties.
“The federal government is borrowing money to feed its children, while state governments are celebrating higher allocations.”
According to the previous head of the Senate committee on rules and business, the present formula for distributing funds is “obsolete” since it does not take into account the magnitude of federal obligations.
Even while it only receives almost half of the country’s budget, the federal government already pays for the military, police, DSS, civil defense, traffic safety, and a host of other organizations. According to him, it’s not a moral or financially sound decision.
The Air Force of Nigeria
In a nationwide call to action yesterday, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, the chief of air staff, ordered all air component commanders to step up the pace of precise air attacks.
Against terrorists, insurgents, and armed criminal gangs, Aneke ordered the commanders to fly more intelligently and strike harder.
Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, a spokesman for the Air Force, stated yesterday that senior operational commanders from all areas of the fight, including the North-East, the riverine enclaves of the Niger Delta, and the woods of Zamfara, were present.
According to Ejodame, the air chief stressed the need of intelligence-driven combat, pinpoint accuracy, and swift action in the days to come.
In order to safeguard Nigerian lives and property, we need to fly more efficiently and strike more forcefully. He was cited as saying that every mission must demonstrate professionalism, purpose, and patriotism.
Aneke made the observation that in order to successfully complete a unified mission, air, land, and maritime operations have to be synchronized due to the ever-changing nature of threats across theaters.
“We need to make sure that our activities are targeted, coordinated, and directed by intelligence. In his statement, he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to maintaining tight cooperation with other security agencies and sister services in the battle against crime and terrorism.
About the Author
