Insecurity, terrorism in Nigeria not religion-driven — Senate

…To Hold Executive Session connected U.S. ‘Religious Persecution’ Debate

..Withdraws Motion connected Alleged Christian Genocide Narrative

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA — The Senate has clarified that the insecurity and coercion confronting Nigeria are not driven by religion, but by geography, circumstance, and socio-economic factors.

This presumption emerged connected Thursday during deliberations connected a question titled, “Urgent Need to Correct Misconceptions Regarding the Purported ‘Christian Genocide’ Narrative successful Nigeria and successful the International Community.”

The motion, sponsored by Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) and co-sponsored by 20 others, sought to prosecute the U.S. Congress and planetary organizations to close what lawmakers described arsenic a increasing misrepresentation of Nigeria’s information situation.

After extended debate, the Senate resolved to clasp an enforcement league to further deliberate connected the delicate contented and stepped down the question to the adjacent legislative day.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio emphasized that coercion successful Nigeria affects each regions and spiritual groups indiscriminately.

“If coercion occurs successful a Christian-dominated area, Christians volition beryllium the victims; if it happens successful a Muslim-dominated area, Muslims volition beryllium the victims,” Akpabio said.

He cautioned that misinformation overseas could pb to damaging planetary sanctions, worsening poorness and insecurity crossed the country. “We should person a tiny squad to sojourn our colleagues successful the U.S., due to the fact that immoderate radical indispensable person gone determination to springiness a one-sided story,” helium added.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central) besides affirmed the chamber’s position, saying: “It is our condemnation that the insecurity situation is not religion-driven. We volition measurement down this motion, clasp an enforcement session, and instrumentality to plenary to study progress.”

In his presentation, Senator Ndume stressed that the country’s information challenges—terrorism, banditry, and communal clashes—are multi-dimensional and not rooted successful religion.

He warned that overseas narratives portraying Nigeria arsenic a tract of “Christian genocide” distort the world of the struggle and hazard damaging the country’s image.

Ndume noted that some Christians and Muslims person suffered from insurgent attacks crossed states similar Plateau, Katsina, Zamfara, Borno, and Kaduna, citing incidents wherever some churches and mosques were targeted.

He reminded lawmakers that the 1999 Constitution guarantees state of religion and adjacent extortion for each citizens, urging transparent connection and interfaith solidarity to antagonistic extremist propaganda.

Contributing to the debate, Senator Aliyu Wammako (APC, Sokoto North) described the “Christian genocide” claims arsenic misinformation susceptible of dividing the country.

“This misinformation cannot continue. We indispensable instrumentality decisive steps to code it,” Wammako stated.

Similarly, Senator Sumaila Kawu (APC, Kano South) warned that the U.S. Congress risked making “an uninformed decision” that could endanger some Christians and Muslims successful Nigeria.

“We indispensable pass the U.S. authorities and its parliament that their cognition is not aligned with the realities connected the ground,” helium said.

Also speaking, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (APC, Ondo South) called for a deeper knowing of violent strategies and stronger legislative-executive collaboration connected counterterrorism efforts.

The Senate’s solution to clasp a closed-door league underscores the sensitivity of the substance arsenic lawmakers question to task a unified and fact-based presumption connected Nigeria’s information concern to the planetary community.

The station Insecurity, coercion successful Nigeria not religion-driven — Senate appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.