The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has denied claims of a religious bias in the Tinubu administration.

According to him, Nigeria is not a violator of religious freedom.

Speaking on CNN on Tuesday night, October 28, Idris dismissed claims by some foreign officials suggesting that terrorists in Nigeria target only Christians. He described such assertions as misleading and not reflective of the country’s complex security realities, and the fact that the right to freedom of religion is enshrined in the nation’s constitution.

“Some of the claims made by some officials of the United States are based on faulty data and some assumptions that the victims of this violence are largely Christians. Yes! There are Christians being attacked, but these criminals do not just target one religion. They target Christians. They also target Muslims. We have seen that especially in the northern part of the country” he said

The Minister stressed that Nigeria remains a highly tolerant nation with respect to freedom of religion, warning that promoting a false narrative of intolerance could inadvertently sow division between Christians and Muslims in the country.

“Characterizing it as attacks on Christians will drive Nigeria towards division. The criminals want to portray the country as if there is a fight between Christians and Muslims. We have seen attacks on Christians. We have also seen attacks on Muslims as well. But it is also wrong to characterize Nigeria as a country that does not tolerate religious freedom, and it’s also wrong to say that everywhere is not safe in Nigeria. Nigeria is indeed a safe country,” he said.

The Minister acknowledged that while security challenges exist in the country, the government is tackling them decisively and with sustained commitment.

“Yes, indeed, we have seen security challenges in Nigeria, but we also have to recognize that there is a massive drive by the government to ensure that Nigeria is ultimately safe for everyone,” he said.