FG reveals tactics for avoiding Trump’s military strike
The Nigerian Government says it has initiated talks with the United States after the latter designated it as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’.
US President Donald Trump, recently, vowed to launch a military strike and impose economic sanctions against Nigeria over what he called a “Christian genocide” taking place in the country.
Mohammed Idris, Nigeria’s minister of information and national orientation, confirmed the diplomatic engagement. Idris, who spoke on British broadcasting network Sky News said, “Channels of communication have been opened, I can confirm that.”
“We are talking to them, and I believe they are now appreciating the situation better.”
The minister averred that ‘’much of the earlier misunderstanding” leading to the designation was due to “an incomplete grasp of the diversity and complexity of our domestic challenges.” Although, Idris admitted to Nigeria having a history of “conflicts and security issues”, he however disputed the casualty toll from the occurrences, saying it lacked “scientific scrutiny.”
He acknowledged the US as a dependable ally helping to tackle the insecurity situation over time and urged her continued cooperation in that regard.
He said, “We are once again calling for that partnership to be strengthened so that, together, we can achieve lasting peace.”
Idris suggested that the claims of Christian persecution in the country was based on the misleading campaigns by the outlawed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) – a separatist group agitating for the dismemberment of the federation to carve out a Biafra republic. The minister said the government had become aware of “a direct connection between lobbyists in the United States” and the “proscribed terrorist group in Nigeria”. He attributed what he described as “misleading narratives’’ to the activities of the group and its team of lobbyists.
Reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to religious freedom, the MInister said: “Our constitution guarantees freedom of religion. Nigeria remains a multi-faith country, and the current conflicts are not driven by religious persecution.”
