The violence in the African nation is not driven by government policy or religious bias, Abuja has said

Nigeria has rejected fresh accusations from US lawmakers that Christians in the West African country are being persecuted, insisting that there is no government policy targeting any religious group.

The allegations were renewed in a report submitted to US President Donald Trump by members of Congress on Monday, which described Nigeria as the "deadliest country to be Christian" and urged sanctions, visa bans, and cuts to American funding if Abuja fails to act.

The report also recommended deeper US-Nigeria security ties to "counter adversaries in the region," including China and Russia. The committee further urged Abuja to divest from Russian military equipment and transition to US-supplied defense systems through American military sales and financing programs.

Africa's most populous nation said in response on Tuesday that while it values its longstanding strategic partnership with Washington, it remains open to cooperation with international partners based on mutual respect and recognition of its sovereignty.

"The violence being confronted by our security agencies is not driven by government policy or religious bias, but by complex security threats, including terrorism, organized criminality, and longstanding communal tensions," Information Minister Mohammed Idris said in astatement.

The minister emphasized that Nigeria's constitution guarantees religious freedom and that the government is committed to upholding it and ensuring equal treatment under the law.

Nigeria has been plagued by an upsurge in violence, particularly in the northeast and the northwest and central Middle Belt, where armed groups have carried out attacks on churches and schools, kidnappings, and deadly village raids.

Last November, Trump placed Nigeria on the list of Countries of Particular Concern following claims by Republican Congressman Riley Moore that more than 7,000 Christians had been killed in 2025, with hundreds more abducted or displaced by Islamic State-linked militants. In December, Washington carried out airstrikes against armed groups, including Boko Haram, in the country's northwest under a bilateral security agreement.

The US has also deployed about 100 military personnel to the African nation after Abuja formally requested assistance with training, technical support and intelligence sharing, the Nigerian Army confirmed last week.

(RT.com)