Federal Government has accused foreign lobby groups, especially in the United States, of promoting claims that Christians are being systematically targeted and killed in the country.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the allegation during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.
He said government investigations have found a connection between some individuals influencing violence inside Nigeria and foreign lobbyists overseas who are shaping international opinion.
According to Idris, these groups have played a major role in branding the country’s security challenges as “Christian genocide”, a description which Nigeria strongly rejects.
The United States recently re-designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged religious persecution and rising attacks against Christians. Idris dismissed the classification, saying it is based on misleading reports and inaccurate data.
He insisted that Nigeria’s security problems do not target any single religion, stressing that both Muslims and Christians have suffered from terrorism, banditry and communal attacks.
“Nigeria faces long-standing security challenges that have affected citizens across religious lines,” he said. “Any narrative suggesting deliberate state inaction against religious attacks is false and misleading.”
Idris described the US position as the result of misinformation, saying violent groups inside Nigeria are driven by criminal motives rather than religion.
The minister also highlighted efforts by President Bola Tinubu’s government to address insecurity, stating that since May 2023, more than 13,500 terrorists have been killed by security forces, over 17,000 suspects arrested and nearly 10,000 abducted persons rescued.
He added that the government remains open to working with international partners to eliminate terrorism, but will continue to challenge foreign narratives that he believes distort the reality in Nigeria.