The Federal Government has alleged that foreign lobbyists, particularly in the United States, are driving claims of a "Christian genocide" in Nigeria and influencing international perceptions of the country's security challenges.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the claim during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, stating that government findings show a deliberate attempt to misrepresent Nigeria's internal security situation.
Idris said: "The Nigerian government has been able to see a correlation between some of the lobbyists operating, especially in the US, and the activities here. We have seen that some of the influencers of these criminal activities have a direct relationship with lobbyists in the US, who have a direct relationship with some of these people who are shouting about this issue outside this country."
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This comes amid the United States' redesignation of Nigeria as a "Country of Particular Concern" over alleged religious persecution and mass killings of Christians -- a position the Nigerian government has strongly rejected.
Idris stated that while insecurity remains a serious concern affecting communities across the country, there is no evidence that any religious group is being specifically targeted.
"Nigeria faces long-standing security challenges that have impacted Christians and Muslims alike. Any narrative suggesting that the Nigerian state is failing to take action against religious attacks is based on misinformation or faulty data," he said.
He described the U.S. stance as a product of "misrepresentation and misinformation," insisting that violent groups in Nigeria do not operate on religious lines.
Highlighting counter-terrorism efforts under President Bola Tinubu's administration, Idris said security forces have "neutralised more than 13,500 terrorists" and arrested over 17,000 suspects since May 2023.
He added that "more than 9,850 abducted persons" have been rescued and reunited with their families within the same period.
The minister maintained that the government will continue to engage international partners to end terrorists' activities in the country.
