The United States has given its reasons for adding Nigeria in its religious freedom blacklist, pointing that it is as a result of widening terrorism with little or no government response. This is coming at the time the Nigeria Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said Nigeria will engage the US to remove its name from religious freedom blacklist.
The US Ambassador-At-Large for International Religious Freedom, Samuel Brownback, on Tuesday 8th December, 2020 said Nigeria government has been tolerating glaring terrorism acts taking place in its nation.
Recall that US had designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) after years of placing Nigeria under a Watchlist for enabling violations of religious rights. This came after the US, initially, expressed concerns over the high rate of religious intolerance in various parts of Nigeria following acts often perpetrated by state actors.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Brownback said the US is seeing a lot of religious-tinged violence taking place.
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The US Secretary of State Department, Mike Pompeo and really the world has great concern about what is happening in Nigeria at this time, and a number of terrorist groups are organising and intruding into the country, he said during the briefing of which statement was obtained by Thecable on Thursday.
"We're seeing a lot of religious-tinged violence taking place in the country and indeed in West Africa. It's an area of growing concern about what's happening in particular the tension that's taking place there between religious and it's often the religious affiliation is used to try to recruit and inspire violent acts.__Amb Samuel Brownback
The ambassador added that a major concern for the US regarding Nigeria is the lack of adequate government response in Nigeria.
"You've got expanded terrorist activities, you've gotta lot of it associated around religious affiliations, and the government's response has been minimal to not happening at all.
"A number of cases- there have not been criminal cases brought forward by the government. The terrorism continues to happen and grow in some places unabated.___Amb Samuel Brownback
Reviewed by Okenwa Chinedu
on
December 10, 2020
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