Nigeria Initiates Diplomatic Talks With US Following Trump’s Threat

The federal government has stated that diplomatic channels have been opened with the United States regarding Washington’s recent designation of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” for religious suppression.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this on Thursday during a briefing to State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Idris stated that the issue was discussed during the FEC deliberations and assured that the necessary actions were being taken to resolve the matter while maintaining Nigeria’s dignity and stability.

“The Nigerian government is responding to the genuine concerns raised. The politics of it aside, we genuinely are taking the issues seriously,” he said.

The minister emphasised that the Tinubu administration was not in a state of panic and was addressing security and religious freedom concerns responsibly.

“Let me say that the government of Nigeria is really very stable. The president is calm, and the members of the Federal Executive Council are indeed very calm. Are there security issues in this country? Yes. Are people being killed in parts of this country? Yes. But is the government doing anything to check that? Yes, indeed,” Idris said.

The minister added that the administration was engaging the US and other international partners diplomatically, stressing that terrorism and violent extremism are global problems that require cooperation beyond borders.

“We have porous borders, and that is why we have cooperation with our regional partners and international partners, including the United States. Channels have been opened. We prefer that this situation be solved diplomatically,” Idris stated.

The minister reaffirmed that Nigeria remains a country of religious tolerance, where every citizen has the constitutional right to worship freely without hindrance.

“The killing of even one Nigerian citizen is of concern to the government of Nigeria. Our constitution guarantees the right of every individual to practice their religion without hindrance. The government of Nigeria is committed to that and will continue to do so.

There is no panic mode here. We are responding responsibly, steadily, and in the interest of our country,” he said.