CPC blacklist: Nigeria remains committed to religious freedom, says NIDCOM boss

The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has dismissed the recent statement by U.S. President Donald Trump accusing Nigeria of persecuting Christians.

In a post shared on her X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday, the former lawmaker described the perception as false and unfair, asking Trump to support the efforts of the Bola Tinubu government in quashing terrorists responsible for the killings of innocent civilians.

Dabiri-Erewa said both Tinubu and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had already responded to the U.S. classification of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over alleged religious persecution.

She wrote, “@officialABAT statement on @POTUS classification of Nigeria as a CPC. @NigeriaMFA has also issued a strong statement. @nidcom_gov urges Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to be united on this.

The perception is definitely not true. There are issues with evil terrorists in some parts of the country, no doubt. What @POTUS needs to do is support the efforts of our government in quashing them, not so falsely denigrate our country.”

According to her, Nigeria under Tinubu “remains steadfast in upholding democracy, religious freedom, and constitutional guarantees that protect citizens of all faiths.”

She urged Nigerians all over the world to remain united in building a nation “founded on unity, tolerance, and mutual respect.”

Her reaction followed Trump’s post on his Truth Social platform last Friday and Saturday, where he claimed Christians were being targeted in Nigeria and warned that the U.S. might “go in guns blazing” if the killings continued.

“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the USA will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’” Trump had said.

The comment sparked widespread criticism, prompting Tinubu to issue an official statement reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to democracy and religious freedom.

In a post on his X handle, Tinubu emphasised that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and that his administration maintains active engagement with leaders of all faiths to promote peace and security.

“Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty.

“Since 2023, our administration has maintained an open and active engagement with Christian and Muslim leaders alike and continues to address security challenges which affect citizens across faiths and regions,” he said.

Tinubu rejected foreign narratives portraying Nigeria as religiously intolerant, describing them as inaccurate and unreflective of the nation’s diversity and unity.

The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians,” he stated.

Reaffirming Nigeria’s stance, the President said religious tolerance “has been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so.”

He further pledged to continue working with the United States and other global partners to deepen mutual understanding and protect communities of all faiths.