President Muhammadu Buhari is currently meeting with the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
NewsWireNGR gathered that Blinken arrived at the Aso Rock Villa at about 3:47 pm and was received at the forecourt of the State House by State Chief of Protocol (SCOP), Ambassador Lawal Kazaure, who led him to the President’s office.
Blinken is expected to proceed to the office of the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, after the meeting with the president.
Thereafter, a joint press conference with Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, will be held before he departs the Presidential Villa.
Meanwhile, prior to his visit to Nigeria, while in Kenya, Blinken in a statement unlisted Nigeria from the list of countries engaged in or tolerated “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom”.
According to him, “Each year the Secretary of State has the responsibility to identify governments and non-state actors, who, because of their religious freedom violations, merit designation under the International Religious Freedom Act.
“I am designating Burma, the People’s Republic of China, Eritrea, Iran, the DPRK, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as Countries of Particular Concern for having engaged in or tolerated “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.”
“I am also placing Algeria, Comoros, Cuba, and Nicaragua on a Special Watch List for governments that have engaged in or tolerated “severe violations of religious freedom.
”Finally, I am designating al-Shabab, Boko Haram, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Houthis, ISIS, ISIS-Greater Sahara, ISIS-West Africa, Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin, and the Taliban as Entities of Particular Concern”.
