The House of Representatives has rejected narratives that portray Nigeria’s security challenges as religiously motivated or state-sponsored.
This position comes in response to a bill introduced in the United States Congress on March 11, 2025.
The resolution seeks to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” for allegedly engaging in, and tolerating, systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.
In reaction, the House mandated relevant government agencies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to compile and transmit empirical evidence that counters the claims made in the U.S. bill.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, and was unanimously supported by members of the House.
Lawmakers argued that Nigeria is not facing a religious crisis and stressed the need for prompt diplomatic action to ensure the bill does not gain traction in the U.S. Congress.
Two weeks ago, the Federal Government dismissed claims that terrorists in Nigeria are carrying out a systematic genocide against Christians, describing the allegations as “false, baseless, despicable, and divisive.”
In a statement, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said portraying Nigeria’s security challenges as a targeted campaign against a single religious group is a gross misrepresentation of reality.
“The federal government strongly condemns and categorically refutes recent allegations by certain international platforms and online influencers suggesting that terrorists operating in Nigeria are engaged in a systematic genocide against Christians,” the statement reads.
“Such claims are false, baseless, despicable, and divisive.
“Portraying Nigeria’s security challenges as a targeted campaign against a single religious group is a gross misrepresentation of reality.
“While Nigeria, like many countries, has faced security challenges, including acts of terrorism perpetrated by criminals, couching the situation as a deliberate, systematic attack on Christians is inaccurate and harmful.
“It oversimplifies a complex, multifaceted security environment and plays into the hands of terrorists and criminals who seek to divide Nigerians along religious or ethnic lines.”
The minister noted that extremists have targeted Nigerians of all faiths, while also highlighting the progress made by the military in operations against terror groups.
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