From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Federal Government has denied reports of targeted killing of Christians in the country.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, said it wished to express strong concern over the recent wave of misinformation and misleading reports regarding the supposed targeted killings of Christians in the country. The ministry also said the unfortunate development is intended to influence foreign governments, especially the United States Government, to designate Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), due to the violence against Christians. It added that while the Federal Government acknowledged the security challenges confronting the nation, it is imperative to clarify that the negative activities were not driven by religious bias, or 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.
“Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation and the government remains committed to protecting the lives and properties of all citizens, irrespective of faith, ethnicity, or gender. The security issues in Nigeria are complex and multifaceted and manifest as criminality, terrorism and communal clashes – including farmer/herder confrontation, which do not have any religious connotation.
“The government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has taken significant steps to address these security concerns, including the deployment of security forces, intelligence gathering and community engagement initiatives.
“Indeed, the military has recorded substantial gains in curtailing the activities of bandits and insurgents. To bring an end to such security challenges, both the federal and state authorities have embarked on kinetic and non-kinetic methods and expedited the implementation of the national livestock plan,” the government said.