The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has said the Tinubu administration is renewing its focus on tackling Nigeria’s security challenges to ensure the safety and well-being of all citizens.
Speaking on CNN on Tuesday night, Idris dismissed claims by some foreign officials suggesting that terrorists in Nigeria primarily target Christians, describing such assertions as misleading and inconsistent with the country’s complex security realities.
He said those pushing such a narrative were basing their conclusions on faulty data and flawed assumptions.
“Some of the claims made by some officials of the United States are based on faulty data and the assumption that the victims of this violence are largely Christians.
“Yes, there are Christians being attacked, but these criminals do not target one religion. They target Christians, and they also target Muslims, especially in the northern part of the country,” the minister said.
Idris said such divisive claims play into the hands of criminals whose goal is to incite conflict between Christians and Muslims.
He emphasized that Nigeria remains a highly tolerant country where freedom of religion is constitutionally guaranteed, warning that false narratives of religious intolerance could deepen divisions among citizens.
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“We have seen attacks on Christians. We have also seen attacks on Muslims as well,” Idris said.
He insisted that it was wrong to label Nigeria as a country that does not tolerate religious freedom or to suggest that the entire nation is unsafe.
“It is also wrong to say that everywhere is not safe in Nigeria. Nigeria is indeed a safe country,” he added.
The minister acknowledged that the country still faces security challenges but maintained that the Tinubu administration is confronting them decisively through both military and non-military strategies.
“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.
Idris argued that Nigeria has battled insecurity since 2009, but in the past two years, there has been a renewed commitment to eradicate the threats through increased investment in defence and other critical sectors.
“In the last two years, there has been a renewed focus and attention to ensure that Nigeria becomes safe.
“We have massively deployed resources to improve our military hardware and invested in agriculture and social services to ensure that the non-kinetic approach contributes to national stability,” he said.
He added that the recent reshuffle of service chiefs by Tinubu was part of efforts to strengthen the country’s security architecture and enhance the government’s response to emerging threats.
“Even the recent changes in the service chiefs are geared towards strengthening our security system to ensure that the government responds effectively to every situation,” Idris noted.
