Nigeria Rebuts US Religious Genocide Allegation and Showcases Security Progress
In a
decisive diplomatic move, the Federal Government of Nigeria convened a meeting
with members of the diplomatic corps in Abuja on Wednesday, November 6, 2025,
to address and reject the United States’ designation of Nigeria as a country of
“particular concern” over alleged religious genocide.
The government firmly denied the accusation, asserting that Nigeria does not target any group based on faith and that such claims misrepresent the country’s legal and social realities.
Dunoma
Ahmed, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasized that
Nigeria’s national laws are religion-neutral and designed to protect all
communities equally. He clarified that blasphemy is not recognized as an
offense under national law, and that Shari’a laws in some northern states apply
solely to Muslims under the oversight of the secular judicial system.
Ahmed further noted that both Christian and
Muslim institutions operate freely across the country, fostering peaceful
coexistence.
Minister
of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, also addressed the
press, criticizing the US designation as a result of “misrepresentation and
misinformation.” He argued that terrorism, banditry, and other violent crimes
in Nigeria are not religiously motivated, stating that criminal activities do
not target any particular religious group.
According
to Idris, the issue at hand is crime, not religion.
Highlighting
the government’s achievements in combating insecurity, Idris reported that
since President Bola Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, Nigerian security
agencies have neutralized over 13,500 terrorists and arrested more than 17,000
suspects, who are currently undergoing interrogation and prosecution.
Additionally,
more than 9,850 abducted individuals, including women and children, have been
rescued and reunited with their families. Idris stressed that terrorism in
Nigeria does not exclusively target any religious or ethnic group.
The
minister also revealed that President Tinubu is actively engaging diplomatic
channels to address Washington’s concerns and rectify what he described as a
“misjudgment of Nigeria’s reality.” He reiterated Nigeria’s openness to
collaboration with the international community, including the United States, in
the shared goal of eradicating terrorism and violent extremism.
While
acknowledging the country’s serious security challenges, Idris invited foreign
partners to better understand Nigeria’s situation and support its efforts to
eliminate threats to national stability.
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