Boko Haram Kills More Muslims Than Christians In Nigeria, Says US Envoy

The United States Envoy to Nigeria, Richard Mills, has cautioned against framing violent attacks successful the state on spiritual lines, insisting that the victims of insurgency and unit chopped crossed faiths, tribes, and regions, saying that were much Muslim victims.

Speaking to journalists successful Abuja, the envoy described immoderate nonaccomplishment of beingness arsenic “absolutely unfortunate,” stressing that coercion recognises nary religion oregon ethnicity.

“Any incident, immoderate nonaccomplishment of beingness is perfectly unfortunate. Those who cognize the terrain good decidedly cognize coercion has nary value, nary religion, nary tribe,” the envoy said.

“People of each religions, each tribes are dying arsenic a effect of violent acts. It’s precise unfortunate, we adjacent cognize that Boko Haram and ISIS are sidesplitting much Muslims than Christians. So radical are suffering from each sorts of backgrounds; this is not specifically targeted astatine 1 radical oregon the other. However, immoderate nonaccomplishment of beingness is 1 excessively many, and we should enactment unneurotic successful concern to enactment an extremity to this.”

The remarks came amid renewed statement implicit the spiritual dimensions of insecurity successful Nigeria, pursuing caller comments by the U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, who alleged that Christians were being targeted and killed successful the country.

Responding to the claims, the envoy emphasised that the unit successful Nigeria’s Middle Belt and different struggle zones is often driven by analyzable socio-economic and communal factors alternatively than religion.

“With regards to the incidental that happened successful the Middle Belt, for example, wherever astir of these farmers are relocated, and galore hap to beryllium Christians, determination person been clashes with immoderate herdsmen. But it’s not thing we tin accidental is specifically targeted astatine a circumstantial group,” the envoy explained.

The U.S. typical besides commended President Bola Tinubu’s medication for caller efforts to bolster information and trim attacks successful affected regions.

“We indispensable enactment unneurotic to enactment an extremity to this. Nigeria’s authorities and President Tinubu’s medication person precocious taken further measures and enactment much resources successful these areas, and we’ve seen immoderate betterment successful caller weeks. We admit those measures and decidedly look guardant to more.”

Reaffirming America’s committedness to Nigeria’s unity and peace, the envoy lauded the country’s long-standing contented of spiritual coexistence.

“Nigeria is simply a state successful which each sorts of religious, ethnic, tribal, and different groups person lived unneurotic successful harmony for centuries. The colonisation is divided astir 50–50 betwixt Christians and Muslims, but this has ne'er been an contented and it should never be.”