By Luminous Jannamike and Folarin Kehinde
ABUJA — The Presidency on Wednesday dismissed claims that Nigeria’s insecurity is driven by religious targeting, insisting that violence across the country affects people of all faiths and should not be framed as a religious war.
The position was articulated by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Chieftaincy Matters, Hon. Abba Tijjani Hashim, during an interaction with the Methodist Archbishop of Anambra, Most Rev. Dr. Vincent Onoh, as part of ongoing engagements between government officials and religious leaders on peace, unity and national stability.
Hashim cautioned that narratives portraying Nigeria’s security challenges as genocide or faith-based conflict risk deepening divisions and undermining national cohesion at a critical time for the country.
“What’s important now in this country is togetherness. We should put everything aside between Muslims, Christians, and even people who don’t have a religion.
“We should not go with the stories going around, which all of us know are false,” he added.
Responding to allegations of mass killings and abductions of Christian faithful, Hashim said realities on the ground show that insecurity cuts across religious lines, particularly in conflict-prone regions.
“Even in this era where they are saying there is a genocide in Nigeria, if you go to places like Maiduguri, both Christians and Muslims have been killed,” he said.
He noted that interfaith tensions, especially in the North, are no longer as severe as they once were, attributing the shift to growing awareness and sustained engagement with religious leaders.
“Even the fight between Muslims and Christians is not like before. People are becoming more aware. We are engaging imams and malams, telling them to preach peace and unity. That is the most important thing,” he said.
To illustrate Nigeria’s history of inter-ethnic trust and coexistence, Hashim shared a personal example from his family.
“My dad’s closest person is an Igbo man, a Christian. He is his secretary and is even a signatory to his account. We cannot spend two days without talking to each other,” he said.
He expressed concern that the country has drifted from the values that once held communities together.
The presidential aide urged religious leaders across faiths to prioritise national interest and support the ongoing peace and security efforts of the current administration, adding that further engagements with religious and community leaders would be organised to deepen dialogue on unity and nation-building.
Earlier, Archbishop Onoh stressed that national cohesion remains the foundation for progress and security, drawing from his 13 years of living and working across Northern Nigeria, including Kaduna, Sokoto and Jos.
“Without unity, no progress. If not for cohesion, one would begin to see everything as ‘not our own’. But without Nigeria, even what you call your food, you will not eat it,” he said.
The Archbishop lamented what he described as the growing influence of money and self-interest in national life, urging leaders to return to values of love, sacrifice and service.
He cautioned that disunity creates openings for instability and external threats.
“Without unity, we open the door for our enemies,” Onoh said.
Onoh, however, acknowledged improvements in security in parts of the South-East, particularly Anambra State, noting increased freedom of movement.
He pledged the support of religious leaders for government efforts aimed at sustaining peace and stability.
“Wherever you think we can come in to support this government, we will do it,” he said.
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