Nigeria govt reacts to allegations of targeted killings of Christians

The Nigerian government, through the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has denied allegations of targeted killings of Christians in the country.

In a statement issued on Friday, the ministry said reports promoting these allegations are misleading and intended to pressure the United States into designating Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).

The CPC is a designation used by the United States Department of State for countries that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom.

It is based on the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) and determined by the US Secretary of State.

However, the ministry said that the negative activities occurring in the country are not driven by religious bias.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to express strong concern over the recent wave of misinformation and misleading reports regarding the supposed targeted killings of Christians in Nigeria,” the statement read in part

US committee call for sanction

On Wednesday, the US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa had called for Nigeria to be tagged a CPC country.

The Chairman of the Subcommittee, Chris Smith, had urged President Donald Trump to impose harsh sanctions on Nigeria over the killing of Christians.

At the hearing of the subcommittee, Mr Smith had condemned the former Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, for reversing Nigeria’s CPC status in 2021.

“And I know, I asked him at hearings, I asked him privately, but also asked him at open hearings, why. I never got a good answer. Religious leaders in Nigeria were outraged by the Secretary’s decision.

“One Nigerian Bishop challenged Blinken and said Christian persecution is “more intense than ever.” That was Bishop Mamza.

“And Genocide Watch has called Nigeria ‘a killing field of defenceless Christians,’” he said.

Mr Smith also stated that the Nigerian government has failed to tackle religiously motivated persecution of Christians “despite religious freedom being enshrined as an essential human right in its Constitution.”

“The Nigerian legal framework supports pluralism at both federal and state levels, but glaring contradictions exist, especially with laws that criminalise blasphemy—some even carrying the death penalty.”

Nigeria’s response

Responding to this, the foreign affairs ministry said Nigeria’s security issues are complex and multifaceted but do not have any religious connotation.

It stated that security issues manifested as criminality, terrorism, and communal clashes, including farmer/herder confrontations.

The agency emphasised that most insurgency and banditry incidents in Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim north are not directed at any specific religious group.

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It described any attempt to portray these attacks as religious persecution as inaccurate and misleading.

“While the federal government acknowledges the security challenges confronting the nation, it is imperative to clarify that these negative activities are not driven by religious bias, nor targeted against any particular religious group,” the statement read in part.

The agency further noted that the Nigerian government has deployed security forces, enhanced intelligence gathering, and strengthened community engagement in an effort to tackle the crisis.

“To bring an end to such security challenges, both the Federal and State authorities have embarked on kinetic and non-kinetic methods and expedited the implementation of the national livestock plan.

“To this end, a Ministry of Livestock Development has been established, while a Special Adviser and Coordinator of Livestock Reforms has been appointed to find sustainable solutions to pastoral farming, with a view to ending contestations over land between farmers and pastoral herders,” the agency further noted.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the international community to verify information carefully before drawing conclusions that might escalate tensions within Nigeria.

“We call on all stakeholders” including the media, civil society organisations, and foreign partners ”to refrain from spreading unverified claims that could undermine national unity and stability,” the statement said.