Nigeria Government Will Engage U.S For Including Nigeria On Religious Freedom Blacklist__Ministry Of Foreign Affairs

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Due to the numerous cases of religious freedom violation within Nigeria: Cases where the Igbo Jewish adherents in Obigbo are often target for execution, synagogues destroyed and demolished by the State security personnels, Chriatians in northern part of the country are always scampering for safety because of the Islamist terrorist groups, a church few weeks ago was burnt down by Muslim extremist in the country.

In all of these quagmires, the Buhari's administration tends to be complicit in the country's insecurity. According to Buhari, "An attack against Boko Haram, an Islamist terrorist group, is attack against the north"

The Trump Administration has on Monday added Nigeria amongst other nations as Country of Particular Concern (CPC) specifically for severe violation of religious freedom.

The Nigeria Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, has come out to says that Nigeria will vigorously engage the U.S. government to remove it’s name from its blacklist of countries over concern on religious freedom.

The Nigerian government has also expressed its displeasure to the U.S. government on this development.

“The attention of the ministry has been drawn to an announcement made by the U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, stating that the government of the United States of America has designated Nigeria as a ‘country of concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998’.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria received the news with surprise, that a secular country under a democratic government will be so designated.

“Although the Nigerian state is multi-religious and multi-ethnic, the Nigerian constitution expressly states that the government shall not adopt any religion as state religion.

“Furthermore, section 38 of the constitution guarantees that every Nigerian citizen is entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion including freedom to change his/her religion or belief.

“And freedom to manifest and propagate his/her religion or belief. Religious liberty in Nigeria has never been in question, therefore any claim contrary to that is completely false and untrue.

“The ministry wishes to assure that the Nigerian government will engage the U.S government to express its displeasure and request that Nigeria be removed from the list,” it said.

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