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•Says terrorist attacks lowest in 10 years, 17,000 being prosecuted
•Tuggar: Nigeria remains good example of religious plurality
•Keyamo: Tinubu a known ‘moderate’, won’t approve persecution of Christians
•Falana: Trump lied about Christian killings in Nigeria
Emmanuel Addeh, Olawale Ajimotokan, Michael Olugbode, Sunday Aborisade in Abuja and Wale Igbintade in Lagos
The federal government yesterday doubled down on its position on President Donald Trump’s threat of a military intervention by the US government, maintaining that the notion of Christian genocide in Nigeria is based on faulty data.
Besides, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, yesterday said no one should be deceived that state sponsored religious persecution exists in Nigeria, insisting that the country remains a good example of religious plurality and democratic endurance.
Also, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), who is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators of the United Kingdom, yesterday weighed in on the ongoing stand-off between Nigeria and the US, maintaining that President Bola Tinubu, though a Muslim, remains a known ‘moderate’.
On his X handle, Keyamo, who tagged the US President, Donald Trump in his post, stated that Tinubu’s wife is a pastor of one of the biggest Pentecostal Churches in Nigeria and most of his children are practicing Christians.
As governor of Lagos State, Keyamo stated that Tinubu regularly invited Christian pastors for prayers and worship sessions at the Government House. “He will be the last person to either adopt the killing of Christians as a State Policy, or condone such acts or be complicit in them,” Keyamo pointed out.
In the same vein, human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has accused Trump of lying to the world with his claim that thousands of Christians are being killed in Nigeria.
Falana described Trump’s comments as a baseless and divisive narrative that misrepresents Nigeria’s security crisis as a religious war, insisting that the killings across the country are largely driven by criminality, banditry, and ransom-seeking, not by faith.
Trump recently announced that he was designating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), a label for nations where violations of religious freedom are judged to be systematic, ongoing, and severe. However, Nigeria has continued to insist that the position of the US remains far from the truth.
Idris: Notion of Christian Genocide Premised on Faulty Data
The federal government yesterday rebutted the US’ claim of inertia against terrorist groups responsible for alleged genocide in some parts of the country. It berated the US administration for hinging its narrative on faulty data.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, asserted this position yesterday at a media briefing on the US government’s designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern and the threat by Trump to send the military to intervene in the country.
The minister stated that the government was also apprised of the level of anxiety created by the tagging of the country as a country of particular concern by Trump following what he said was a wrong perception and misrepresentation of the security challenges in the country.
He said the federal government had always recognised the security challenges that had confronted the country since 2009 with the advent of Boko Haram terrorists. He also referenced the report by the Global Terrorism Index in March which indicated that terrorist attacks were at their lowest in over a decade in Nigeria.
“Let me state from the outset that the Government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria have taken note of the position of the Government of the United States of America on Nigeria over alleged violations of religious freedom.
“Nigeria faces longstanding security challenges that have impacted Christians and Muslims alike, and we mourn every loss of life—knowing that even a single loss of life is one too many,” Idris said.
He also reiterated that Tinubu was more than determined to confront and end these security challenges. The minister said that since May 2023, security agencies had neutralised more than 13,500 terrorists through sustained operations and arrested over 17,000 suspects, who were now undergoing interrogation or prosecution for various offences, while more than 9,800 victims abducted by terrorist elements, including women and children, had been rescued and reintegrated.
Idris explained: “It is important to restate that the menace of terrorism in Nigeria does not exclusively target any religious or ethnic group. As in many parts of the world, extremism is mindless, blind to religion, tribe, or class. It is a war against all peace-loving Nigerians and against the unity and progress of our great nation.
“Therefore, any narrative suggesting that the Nigerian State is failing to take action against religious attacks is based on misinformation or faulty data. Several leading personnel of the very dedicated Armed Forces of Nigeria and the country’s intelligence agencies are Christians, working and succeeding alongside their Muslim colleagues in the fight against extremists and criminals waging war against our country and values.
“Also, Nigeria’s security challenge cannot be fully understood without acknowledging the volatile security situation in the Sahel region—and complicating factors such as the collapse of Libya over a decade ago, flooding the region with terrorist elements, extremist groups, and illegal weapons. The regional dimension underscores why Nigeria continues to champion greater cooperation within ECOWAS, the African Union, and international partners – including the United States – to stabilise the Sahel and cut off the transnational lifelines of terrorism.
“The other issue is the socio-economic dimension of the conflict in the North-Central, especially in Plateau and Benue State, exacerbated by age-long farmers-herders violent clashes made worse by climate change and desertification”.
He stated that the recent change of Service Chiefs and the subsequent realignment within the Armed Forces and security agencies was a strategic overhaul that reflected President Tinubu’s determination to reinvigorate Nigeria’s security architecture and infuse fresh energy, innovation, and accountability into the country’s defence and intelligence systems.
He asserted that the military and other security agencies were winning the war on terrorism, stressing that the results in the past years particularly in the last two years of President Tinubu’s leadership were remarkable.
“We have made stringent efforts in curtailing access to small arms and light weapons by non-state actors. Security agencies recovered and destroyed over 5,000 military-grade rifles and intercepted over 20 gun-running networks in the past months.
“The administration has made multi-million-dollar investments in modernised equipment for our security agencies and has increased the defence and security budget. The President has always given the military his absolute support, and I assure you that there is the political will to remove the last vestiges of this menace from our country.
“In the past eight months, the Nigerian military neutralised over 592 terrorists in Borno State alone. Over 13,500 terrorists and armed criminals have been neutralised. More than 17,000 arrests were made. Over 11,200 hostages were freed.
“More importantly, over 124,000 insurgents and their families surrendered, handing over more than 11,000 weapons. In the North-West, especially Zamfara and Kaduna, 11,250 hostages have been freed, and some of the terror leaders —Ali Kachala, Boderi, Halilu Sububu — have been neutralized. In August, the military intercepted and killed, in one fell swoop, over 400 armed bandits who had converged to attack a village in Zamfara”.
The minister also explained that terror attacks had been reduced by almost 80 per cent in the South-East, through the joint effort of the security agencies.
In his remarks, the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, said the Tinubu administration was not making an emotional reaction to the insecurity issues in the country, which he said started in 2023.
He stated that given the plethora of actions taken in the last three years, the problem would have eased and the country would not be where it is if those actions were taken in the last 10 years.
He also charged the media to cease perpetuating a wrong narrative about terrorists killing members of the security agencies, like the military with screaming headlines.
Tuggar Maintains No Truth in Religious Persecution Claim by US
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tuggar, yesterday said no one should be deceived that state sponsored religious persecution exists in Nigeria, insisting that the country remains a good example of religious plurality and democratic endurance.
Tuggar, who briefed the diplomatic community in Abuja over the current situation in the country, said the issue of national security remains top priority of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dunoma Ahmed, Tuggar who is currently in Germany, said it was inaccurate to characterise Nigeria’s security challenges as manifestations of state-sanctioned religious intolerance.
He decried the claims of religious genocide against Christians in the country, stating that it was unfounded. He also assured members of the diplomatic community that the government is doing everything possible to contain the threat of terrorism as currently seen in the country.
Tuggar said: “National security remains a top priority for the Tinubu administration, which has adopted a comprehensive approach combining military strength, intelligence, diplomacy, and community engagement. Sustained operations such as Operation Hadin Kai and Operation Lake Sanity have degraded Boko Haram and ISWAP, reclaimed vast territories and facilitated the return of millions of displaced persons.
“Advanced surveillance technologies are being deployed to combat banditry and kidnapping, while community-based peace building and the National Early Warning and Response System (NEWS) enhance conflict prevention. Civil-military cooperation has strengthened trust, improved intelligence gathering, and reduced the recruitment of extremists.
“Nigeria remains a global exemplar of religious plurality and democratic endurance. The 1999 Constitution guarantees complete freedom of thought, conscience, and religion and prohibits the adoption of any state religion. The Nigerian state is secular in both structure and function; policies and institutions operate without religious bias, ensuring that Christians and Muslims hold leadership positions across all levels.
“ Recent external claims suggesting systemic religious persecution in Nigeria are unfounded. The recent designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) based on speculations of religious persecution is fundamentally misinformed.
“It misrepresents Nigeria’s secular constitutional order and its record in protecting religious freedom. Nigeria’s demographic balance, approximately equal Christian and Muslim populations, its interwoven communities, and its functioning multi- religious democracy stand as clear evidence of our coexistence.”
He added that Nigeria’s judiciary has consistently demonstrated its independence, protecting freedom of expression and religion. The state, he said, continues to wage a comprehensive counter-terrorism campaign against groups that target Nigerians of all faiths.
“ It is therefore inaccurate to characterise Nigeria’s complex security challenges as manifestations of state- sanctioned religious intolerance. Nigeria’s national legal framework contains no offence of blasphemy.
“The existing public-order laws are religion-neutral and protect all communities equally from incitement to violence. Sharia laws, limited to some northern states, apply only to Muslims and remain under the oversight of the secular judiciary. Christian and Muslim institutions operate freely, promoting peaceful coexistence. Interfaith harmony is sustained through institutions such as the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA).
According to him, Nigeria has consistently demonstrated its openness to dialogue and cooperation, and constructive engagement, which should remain the standard in the engagement between and among sovereign states in the international system.
“While Nigeria notes with grave concern the unfounded and disparaging rhetoric over the security situation in the country, it is our firm conviction that the international community will continue on the path of mutual respect and cooperation that fosters peace, prosperity, and harmony,” he stressed.
Keyamo: Tinubu Won’t Approve Persecution of Christians
For his part, senior lawyer, Keyamo, emphasised that having been appointed by the present President of Nigeria, Tinubu, as his Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, along with other Christians, because of his strong Christian background and ethical pedigree, it would have been most unconscionable for him to associate with – let alone accept to serve or continue to serve – a government if truly there is any scintilla of truth in the assertion that Christians are specifically targeted in Nigeria for persecution, killings or harassment on account of their faith.
“It is simply not true. Just like the US and many countries in the world, we have faced our own fair share of societal violence; ours has been perpetrated by deadly groups known as Boko Haram (now seriously decimated), herdsmen, and cattle rustlers.
“These decades-old problems were inherited by our President who has made great progress in the fight against these insurgents. In fact, most of the security Chiefs appointed by him are Christians, so it would be unthinkable to imagine them being complicit in the killing of fellow Christians in Nigeria.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria, though a Muslim, is a known ‘moderate’, whose wife is a Pastor of one of the biggest Pentecostal Churches in Nigeria and most of his children are practising Christians. When he was Governor of Lagos State, he regularly invited Christian Pastors for prayers and worship sessions at the Government House. He will be the last person to either adopt the killing of Christians as a State Policy, or condone such acts or be complicit in them.
“Nigeria is a secular State and our Constitution explicitly provides for freedom of religion and prohibits the adoption of a State religion, reflecting its status as a multi-faith nation. This legal framework underpins the country’s diverse religious landscape, which includes significant populations of Muslims, Christians, and adherents of traditional African religions, coexisting within a nation’s space,” Keyamo stated.
Admitting that the insecurity in some parts of the country over the years has impacted adherents of all religions, he explained that this government has not sought to protect one set of adherents and ignore the others.
“Ordinarily, opposition politicians will oppose the government of the day. But on this matter, President Trump, you would have observed that leaders of the opposition parties in Nigeria are united on one point: there is no targeted killing of Christians in Nigeria.
“President Trump, the Nigerian people ask for deep and sincere understanding from your government at this point; the Nigerian people ask for support and cooperation from your government at this point to confront this decades-old menace of terrorism; we ask for collaboration; we ask for frank and open dialogue at this time with your government; we ask that you broaden your sources of information at this time so as to get a balanced view of the happenings in Nigeria,” he pointed out.
You Won’t Dictate Our Foreign Policy, US Rep Tells China
Also, Riley Moore, a member of the US House of Representatives, has said that China has no right to dictate America’s foreign policy.
Moore was reacting to China’s disapproval of Trump’s threat of military action in Nigeria as part of efforts to “protect Christians from persecution”.
Recall that on Wednesday, Mao Ning, spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry, said “as Nigeria’s comprehensive strategic partner, China firmly opposes any country using religion and human rights as an excuse to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs, and threatening other countries with sanctions and force”.
But Moore dismissed China’s stance in an X post, describing the Asian country as a communist autocracy. “President Trump is absolutely right to defend our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering horrific persecution, and even martyrdom, for their faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” Moore said.
“China will not dictate our foreign policy to us, and we will not be lectured to by a Communist autocracy that recently arrested 30 Christian pastors for their faith and threw ethnic minorities in concentration camps,” he added.
Falana: Trump Lied About Christian Killings in Nigeria
Meanwhile, human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has accused US President Trump of lying to the world with his claim that thousands of Christians are being killed in Nigeria.
Falana described Trump’s comments as a baseless and divisive narrative that misrepresents Nigeria’s security crisis as a religious war, insisting that the killings across the country are largely driven by criminality, banditry, and ransom-seeking, not by faith.
He made the assertion yesterday during an interview on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’, where he criticised both the US president’s remarks and the Nigerian government’s failure to address the worsening insecurity across the country.
Falana said Trump’s recent statement alleging a “mass slaughter” of Christians in Nigeria was not supported by any credible evidence.
“This is a man who has absolute contempt for Africans,” Falana said. “Mr. Trump has lied to the whole world. He said genocide is taking place in Nigeria, that thousands of Christians have been killed, but there’s no evidence to support that claim.”
According to the SAN, Trump’s portrayal of Nigeria as a country where Christians are being systematically exterminated ignores the reality on the ground.
“The killers, terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, and armed robbers — do not care about anyone’s religion. They are driven by greed and the desire for ransom. It’s not about Christianity or Islam. It’s about criminality,” he Falana accused Trump of exploiting religious sentiment for political gain among his evangelical supporters in the United States.
“Trump’s narrative is meant to satisfy his evangelical base in America. He wants to paint a picture of Christian persecution in Africa while ignoring his own country’s moral failures and global human rights abuses,” he said.
He warned that Nigeria must not allow any foreign power to use religion as a tool to divide its people, describing the US intervention as hypocritical and self-serving.
However, Falana urged the federal government to treat it as a wake-up call to confront Nigeria’s internal security crisis with seriousness.
“The government must take this embarrassment as a wake-up call. Under the Constitution, the Nigerian state has the duty to secure the lives and property of all citizens. Yet people are being kidnapped and killed daily without consequences,” he said.
He lamented the government’s failure to enforce key decisions that could have mitigated the violence, such as the ban on open grazing and the establishment of ranches across the country.
“When the Northern and Southern Governors’ Forums agreed that open grazing should be banned, what happened? On my way to Abuja recently, I still saw cattle roaming on major highways. This lawlessness continues because the government has refused to act,” he said.
Falana also condemned the lax response of security agencies to the country’s rampant kidnapping problem.
“Families are forced to pay ransom while the police watch. Today, technology has advanced to the point where every phone call can be traced. Yet our security agencies still rely on families to raise money instead of tracking and arresting criminals. That is unacceptable,” he said.
He described the situation as an embarrassment to a sovereign state, warning that Nigeria was losing control of the monopoly of force to criminal gangs. Falana accused Trump of hypocrisy, pointing out that the United States itself is plagued by gun violence and mass shootings.
He said: “Between 2020 and 2025, over ‘280,000 people’ have been killed by gunmen in America. Trump did not make any statement about that. So what moral authority does he have to lecture Nigeria about killings?”
He also referenced the US support for Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which he said have led to the deaths of civilians, including women and children. “Trump supports those killings but claims to care about Christians in Nigeria. That is hypocrisy of the highest order,” he said.
Falana further suggested that Trump’s comments were part of a broader geopolitical campaign to weaken African countries and limit China’s growing influence on the continent.
“The same people promoting this false narrative about genocide in Nigeria are also saying Africa must cut ties with China. We must not allow any foreign power to exploit our challenges to advance their economic interests,” he alleged.
The rights lawyer emphasised that both federal and state governments share responsibility for addressing insecurity.
“Crimes like murder, kidnapping, and armed robbery are state offences. Terrorism is a federal crime, but since 2016, the Attorney-General of the Federation has empowered state Attorneys-General to prosecute terror cases. Yet, where are the results?” Falana asked.
He urged the government to reform its security approach, prosecute arrested suspects, and restore public confidence in law enforcement.
“Our government must be in control of the use of force. That is what defines sovereignty. We must mobilize our people, invest in technology, and guarantee law and order in this country.”
While condemning Trump’s “false and reckless” statement, Falana said Nigeria must not deflect from the deeper issue, the government’s failure to secure its citizens.
“For me, it’s not about what Trump says. It’s about what we do as Nigerians to protect our people, restore order, and defend our sovereignty, “, he stated
CD Warns Gumi’s Remarks Threaten Nigeria–US Relations
The Campaign for Democracy (CD) has raised the alarm over what it described as reckless and inflammatory comments made by Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, warning that his recent utterances could endanger Nigeria’s national security and strain diplomatic ties with the US.
In a statement signed by its President, Ifeanyi Odili, the pro-democracy group described Gumi’s remarks as “irresponsible, divisive, and capable of inciting violence and extremism.”
The group said the comments were particularly dangerous at a time when Nigeria is battling severe security challenges, including terrorism, banditry, and religious tension.
According to the CD, Gumi’s recent statement suggesting a “Muslim takeover of the White House” is provocative and could be misconstrued as a call for global religious confrontation, potentially prompting hostile diplomatic responses from Washington.
The group said such rhetoric not only undermines Nigeria’s international image but also threatens the country’s economic and security cooperation with the United States.
The statement read in part: “The Campaign for Democracy is compelled to express its deep concern and outrage over the reckless statements made by Sheikh Gumi, which pose a grave threat to Nigeria’s national security and its diplomatic relations with the United States.
“We reject any attempt to use religion as a tool for hatred and intolerance and call on all Nigerians to resist such divisive narratives.”
Odili called on Tinubu, the Chief of Defence Staff, and the National Security Adviser to urgently caution Gumi and prevent further incitement. He said the government must take decisive steps to protect the country’s interests, maintain diplomatic stability, and avert any escalation of violence or international backlash.
The group warned that failure to act could have dire consequences for the nation, including the escalation of extremism, economic instability, international sanctions, and increased internal divisions.
“The government must act now to safeguard Nigeria’s national image, prevent diplomatic isolation, and preserve peace and unity,” the CD insisted.
Referencing the US Constitution, the CD noted that religion is not a qualification or disqualification for public office, as stipulated in Article VI, Clause 3, and therefore Gumi’s comments were unnecessary and misleading.
The group warned that such remarks could provoke anti-Muslim sentiment in the U.S. and worsen Nigeria’s fragile internal peace.
“We call on the federal government to engage in proactive diplomacy to mitigate any fallout from Gumi’s statements, while promoting interfaith dialogue and national cohesion,” the CD added.
Reiterating its commitment to democracy, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, the organisation urged Nigerians to remain calm, vigilant, and united in rejecting any rhetoric capable of inciting division or hatred.
“We stand with all Nigerians who believe in peace, tolerance, and unity. The future of our country depends on responsible leadership and the rejection of hate speech in all its forms,” the statement said.
