Following US President Donald Trump’s military threat, the Federal Government claims to have initiated diplomatic talks with the United States.
In an interview with Sky News, Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, stated that diplomatic channels were working to reduce tensions between the two nations.
“There are now open lines of contact. Idris stated, “I can attest that we are conversing with them, and I believe they are comprehending the situation better.”
The minister claimed that a significant portion of the concern in Washington was caused by an inadequate comprehension of Nigeria’s varied and intricate security circumstances.
He said, “We think that the majority of the information is a result of a lack of a proper understanding of the diversity and complexity of the problem we have at hand.”
Idris maintained that Boko Haram had not taken any territory from Nigeria and added that the war on terrorism was unusual and frequently distorted.
The minister claimed that a banned separatist group in Nigeria had been collaborating with US lobbyists to disseminate false information to powerful Americans.
“Let me also put it out there that we are seeing a direct connection between (US) lobbyists and (a) proscribed terrorist organization in Nigeria, and we have seen how they have set up this lobby in the US, contacting high-ups in the US to help them lobby,” he stated.
Idris emphasized that the US has consistently supported Nigeria’s counterterrorism initiatives and asked Washington to continue this cooperation.
“We are stating that the scenario does exist. In Nigeria, there is conflict. Although there is a security issue in Nigeria, the US government has previously assisted Nigerian authorities in resolving this issue.
He said, “So we are calling on them to partner with us once again, to help push this, so we have peace in our country once and for all.”
The minister stated that some of the information being shared overseas surprised the Federal Government and that it did not fairly represent Nigeria’s security situation.
“We want to tell the world that this is not the case,” he continued. We are concerned about some of these killings, just like the rest of the world, including the United States. However, at this point, we wish to comprehend the complexity and diversity of the situation.
Idris also questioned the veracity of statistics used to bolster allegations of pervasive religious persecution in Nigeria.
According to him, “some of the assumptions are based on data that largely cannot stand any scientific scrutiny.”
He emphasized that religious freedom is guaranteed by the Nigerian constitution and that the ongoing conflict should not be seen as persecution based on religion.
