Ministry of Foreign Affairs has rejected recent reports alleging targeted killings of Christians in Nigeria

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has rejected recent reports alleging targeted killings of Christians in Nigeria.

The Federal Government described the report as part of a misleading campaign aimed at influencing foreign governments to designate the country as a “Country of Particular Concern” due to violence against Christians.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Acting Spokesperson for the Ministry, Kimiebi Ebienfa, on Friday.

According to reports, the United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa authorised President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Nigeria due to the alleged widespread killing of Christians and escalating religious violence within the country.

The approval came after a congressional hearing on Wednesday, where lawmakers expressed frustration over the Nigerian government’s alleged failure to protect Christian communities from the ongoing attacks.
A report by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa, cited during the hearing, revealed that Nigeria accounted for 90 percent of all Christians killed globally each year.

Between October 2019 and September 2023, over 55,000 people were killed, and an additional 21,000 were abducted by terrorist groups.

It said that the majority of violence in the predominantly Muslim northern region stems from criminality, insurgency, and banditry, not religious persecution.
“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 unfortunate development is intended to influence foreign governments, especially the United States Government, to designate Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern, due to the violence against Christians.

“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.

“It should be noted that the majority of incidents relating to insurgency and banditry that occur in the predominantly Muslim northern part of Nigeria are not targeted at followers of a particular faith or religion. Any narrative that seeks to give such incidents a colouration of religious persecution is erroneous and misleading,” the statement read in part.