The Federal Government has opened diplomatic discussions with the United States following recent military threats issued by former U.S. President Donald Trump over alleged killings of Christians in Nigeria.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this in an interview on Sky News, saying dialogue between both governments is ongoing through established diplomatic channels.
According to Idris, the talks have started yielding positive responses, as the U.S. government is beginning to better understand Nigeria’s internal security challenges.
“Channels of communication have been opened. I can confirm that we are talking with them, and I think they are understanding the situation better,” he said. “We believe that most of the information is a result of a lack of proper understanding of the diversity and complexity of the problem we have at hand.”
In a statement signed by the Minister, he clarified that Nigeria has not lost any territory to Boko Haram, explaining that the insurgency war is not conventional warfare. He further alleged that some proscribed separatist groups in the country have links with certain U.S.-based lobbyists who are misinforming American officials.
“Let me also put it out there that we are seeing a direct connection between U.S. lobbyists and a proscribed terrorist organisation in Nigeria,” Idris added. “We have seen how they have set up this lobby in the U.S., contacting influential people to distort the true situation.”
He noted that while Nigeria has faced serious security threats, the U.S. has always been a reliable ally in the fight against terrorism, stressing that the country still needs America’s collaboration to overcome insurgency.
“What we are saying is that, yes, indeed, the situation exists. We have conflict in Nigeria and security challenges, but in the past, the United States government has helped us deal with them. We are calling on them again to partner with us for lasting peace,” he said.
The minister expressed surprise over the data being circulated in the U.S. to support claims of religious persecution, describing such figures as inaccurate and unscientific.
“We want to tell the world that some of these assumptions are based on data that cannot stand scientific scrutiny,” he said, adding that Nigeria remains a multi-faith nation where religious freedom is constitutionally guaranteed.
Idris appealed to the international community to appreciate the country’s diversity and the complexity of its security issues, noting that the ongoing conflict is not religiously motivated but largely socio-political and economic.
