The Citizens Initiative for Safety Awareness (CISA) has faulted attempts by certain Western groups and members of the U.S. Congress to frame Nigeria’s security problems as a religious conflict targeting Christians.
In a statement released on Wednesday the 8th of October, 2025, in Abuja, CISA’s National Coordinator, Chidi Omeje, said such narratives were misleading and could disrupt ongoing counterterrorism and anti-banditry efforts.
Omeje explained that the roots of terrorism and banditry in Nigeria stem from criminal motives, extremism, and power struggles, not religion.
“The same insurgents who attack churches have also bombed mosques, ambushed Muslim travellers, and killed thousands of innocent people across all faiths and regions. The pain of terrorism is national, not sectarian,” he stated.
He raised alarm that some U.S. lawmakers and media outlets were using unverified claims of Christian persecution to advocate for Nigeria’s redesignation as a “Country of Particular Concern (CPC),” a move he warned could harm security partnerships and limit arms access.
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Omeje added that such steps would only weaken Nigeria’s counterterrorism capacity and embolden violent groups.
He urged foreign partners to depend on credible intelligence and accurate data rather than politically motivated narratives, noting that the U.S. Embassy in Abuja had never classified Nigeria’s crisis as a religious genocide.
According to him, Nigeria’s war against terrorism seeks to protect every citizen, regardless of faith or ethnicity, and he called for genuine global cooperation instead of unfair labeling.