FG knocks U.S for listing Nigeria among countries with religious rights violation

The Federal Government of Nigeria has rejected the listing of the country by the United States amongst Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) with violations of religious rights.

The U.S had, on Monday, December 7, listed Nigeria as one of the countries guilty of “egregious violations of religious freedom” after an indictment by the United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in 2019.

The U.S cited the violation of rights of members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), whose leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El Zaky Zaky, is still in detention despite a court ordering his release as one of the cases it considered.

It also cited several attacks on Christians and Muslims based on their religious identities across the country.

The U.S Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, had, in a tweet, designated that Nigeria, for the second time, is a “Country of Particular Concern” for religious freedom.

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“These annual designations show that when religious freedom is attacked, we will act,” Pompeo wrote on Twitter.

A statement issued by the U.S stated:

“The United States is designating Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, Nigeria, the DPRK, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as Countries of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, as amended, for engaging in or tolerating systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom.”

However, in faulting the designation, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, described the listing as “a case of honest disagreement between the two nations on the causes of violence in Nigeria.”

In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, December 8, and signed by Segun Adeyemi, Special Assistant to the President (Media), Office of the Minister of Information and Culture. Mohammed said:

“Nigeria does not engage in religious freedom violation, neither does it have a policy of religious persecution. Victims of insecurity and terrorism in the country are adherents of Christianity, Islam and other religions.”

The Minister added that Nigeria jealously protects religious freedom as enshrined in the country’s constitution and takes seriously any infringements in this regard.

“Nigeria jealously protects religious freedom as enshrined in the country’s constitution and takes seriously any infringements in this regard.”

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