The House of Representatives has dismissed claims portraying Nigeria’s security challenges as religiously motivated or state-sponsored, insisting that such narratives misrepresent the country’s realities.
This follows a bill introduced in the United States Congress on March 11, 2025, seeking to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” for allegedly engaging in, or tolerating, systematic violations of religious freedom.
In response, the House directed relevant government agencies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to compile and transmit empirical evidence countering the allegations contained in the U.S. bill.
The resolution was adopted after a motion of urgent public importance moved by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, which received unanimous support from lawmakers.
Members of the House emphasized that Nigeria is not facing a religious crisis, urging swift diplomatic engagement to ensure the bill does not gain traction in the U.S. Congress.
Two weeks earlier, the Federal Government had similarly dismissed reports suggesting that terrorists in Nigeria are carrying out a systematic genocide against Christians.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described such claims as “false, baseless, despicable, and divisive,” stressing that Nigeria’s security challenges should not be framed as a religious war.
“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,” Idris said in a statement.
“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, couching the situation as a deliberate, systematic attack on Christians is inaccurate and harmful.”
He added that extremists have targeted Nigerians of all faiths and noted the progress made by the military in counterterrorism operations across the country.
