FG Reacts As U.S. Adds Nigeria To Religious Freedom Blacklist

The Federal Government has reacted to the addition of Nigeria to the religious freedom blacklist of the Unites States Government.

The American Government had accused its Nigerian counterpart of systematically engaging in, “egregious religious freedom violations”.

Nigeria’s addition to the blacklist reportedly followed a reported released earlier in the year by the U.S. State Department.

The report was said to have raised concerns at both the federal and state levels in the country.

VOA reported that the report cited the detention of members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), otherwise known as Shiites.

But reacting on Tuesday through his media aide, Segun Adeyemi, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, attributed the move to, “honest disagreement between the two nations on the causes of violence in Nigeria”.

He 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.”

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