The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, affirmed that Nigeria upholds religious freedom, human rights, the rule of law, and democracy.
Idris, speaking on CNN on Tuesday night, dismissed claims by foreign officials that terrorists in Nigeria exclusively targeted Christians.
He described such assertions as misleading and unreflective of the nation’s complex security realities.
This was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja by the minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Malam Rabiu Ibrahim.
According to the statement, the minister said the Bola Tinubu-led administration has renewed its focus on tackling Nigeria’s security challenges to ensure the safety and well-being of all citizens.
Idris further emphasised that the right to freedom of religion is firmly enshrined in Nigeria’s Constitution.
“Some of the claims made by some officials of the United States are based on faulty data and some assumptions that the victims of this violence are largely Christians.
“Yes, there are Christians being attacked, but these criminals do not just target one religion, but both Christians and Muslims and we have seen that especially in the northern part of the country.
“Those purveying such narratives are unwittingly playing into the hands of criminals whose ultimate objective is to incite conflict between Christians and Muslims in the country,”Idris said.
The minister stressed that Nigeria remained a highly tolerant nation with respect for freedom of religion.
He warned that promoting a false narrative of intolerance could inadvertently sow division between Christians and Muslims in the country.
“Characterising it as attacks on Christians will drive Nigeria towards division.
“The criminals want to portray the country as if there is a fight between Christians and Muslims.
“It is also wrong to characterise Nigeria as a country that does not tolerate religious freedom.
“It is wrong to also say that everywhere is not safe in Nigeria. Nigeria is indeed a safe country,”he stressed.
The minister acknowledged that while security challenges existed in the country, the Federal Government was tackling them decisively and with sustained commitment.
“Yes, indeed, we have seen security challenges in Nigeria, but we also have to recognise that there is a massive drive by the government to ensure that Nigeria is ultimately safe for everyone,” he added.
He noted that Nigeria had been grappling with security challenges since 2009, adding that in the past two years, there had been renewed momentum and determination to eradicate these threats.
“In the last two years, there has been a renewed focus, and attention has been put to ensure that Nigeria becomes safe.
“We have a massive deployment of resources to improve our military hardware.
“We have also seen investments in other sectors, such as agriculture and social services to ensure that the non-kinetic approach contributes to the stability of our country.
“Even the recent changes (of service chiefs) are all geared towards strengthening our security architecture to ensure that the government responds to every situation,”Idris said.
