The Federal Government has strongly rejected attempts to frame Nigeria’s security challenges along religious lines, warning that such divisive narratives threaten national unity.
Speaking at a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, addressed claims by some foreign figures, including U.S. President Donald Trump, that recent killings in Nigeria constitute a targeted Christian genocide.
Idris stressed that terrorism, banditry, and other forms of violent crime cut across all ethnic and religious groups in the country.
According to him, “Nigeria’s security landscape is a complex interplay of terrorism, banditry, and criminality that affects citizens regardless of faith or ethnicity.
“Framing these challenges in religious terms is factually inaccurate and counterproductive to national cohesion, ” Idris said.
The minister highlighted that the threats facing Nigeria target the nation as a whole, and not any particular religious community.
He also emphasised the importance of unity, calling on Nigerians to reject misinformation that seeks to divide the country.
His words: “The international community, including respected religious leaders, recognises the socio-economic and political roots of these conflicts rather than a simplistic sectarian narrative.
“Nigeria is a multi-faith nation, and the constitutional right to freedom of worship must be respected by all, ” he added.
Idris further urged citizens to focus on the common enemies—terrorists, bandits, and criminals, who seek to destabilize the country, rather than allowing false narratives to sow division.
Present at the briefing were key presidential aides, including Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Dr. Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Tunde Rahman, Senior Special Assistant on Media Affairs, and Malam Ali M. Ali, Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria.
The Federal Government’s stance reinforces its commitment to tackling insecurity in an inclusive, non-sectarian manner, ensuring that national unity remains paramount in confronting shared threats.
