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Anthony Ufoh
A group, The Citizens Initiative for Safety Awareness (CISA) has accused the United States Congress and the media of looking at the Nigerian states’ security issue as a religious motivated attacks against Christian nationals.
Chidi Omeje, CISA’s National Coordinator on Wednesday In Abuja stated the narrative is misleading, divisive and dangerous to Nigeria’s ongoing counterterrorism and anti-banditry operations.
Omeje said the effort to portray the country’s multi-dimensional security crisis as a religious conflict between Christians and Muslims was an act of propaganda that undermines the sacrifices of Nigerians of all faiths who have died in the fight against terrorism.
According to zagazola Makama, security expert on his X account (formerly Twitter) stated that terrorism and banditry in Nigeria were not religiously driven but acts of criminality fuelled by extremism, greed and the quest for control.
He said, “The same insurgents who attack churches have also bombed mosques, ambushed Muslim travellers and killed thousands of innocent people across all faiths and regions. The pain of terrorism is national, not sectarian,” he said.
According to the group, such a move is not about human rights or religious freedom but about politics and control, warning that the consequence would be the restriction of arms sales to Nigeria, thereby weakening its counterinsurgency operations.
“This will not help Nigeria’s Christians, Muslims, or anyone else. It will only embolden terrorists and expand their capacity to inflict more pain on defenceless citizens,” Omeje said.
He urged members of the U.S. Congress and the international community to rely on verified intelligence and credible data rather than politically motivated reports, noting that even the U.S. Embassy in Abuja had never classified the violence in Nigeria as religious genocide. “It is hypocritical and counterproductive for foreign actors to deny Nigeria access to the tools it needs to protect its people while professing concern for human rights,” he added.
CISA reaffirmed that Nigeria’s fight against terrorism was a fight for the survival of all citizens regardless of faith, ethnicity, or political affiliation, and called for genuine international partnership to support the country’s efforts. “What our security agencies need now is international support, not politically motivated stigmatization,” Omeje said. He reiterated CISA’s commitment to promoting truth, unity, and national security awareness, vowing that the organisation would continue to resist all forms of disinformation that threaten Nigeria’s peace and sovereignty.
