The Presidency has lashed out at the United States (US) Government for placing Nigeria on a Special Watch List (SWL) for its tolerance on severe violations of religious freedom.
United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on Friday recommended a designation for Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) due to in spate of continued religious killings and violent attacks.
However, Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed has rejected the CPC designation saying US is falling prey to the misleading information circulated by enemies of President Buhari’s administration.
In a statement released to newsmen, Lai Mohammed said “The deliberate effort to give religious coloration to the farmers-herders clashes and the Boko Haram insurgency, in particular, has undoubtedly helped to mislead the US into concluding that the government is doing little or nothing to guarantee religious freedom in the country.
”But, as we have always said, the farmers-herders clashes have nothing to do with religion but everything to do with environmental and socio-economic realities.
“The religious tag given to the clashes has no basis, but is very convenient for those who will very easily give the dog a bad name just to hang it.”
“On its part, the Boko Haram terrorists are extreme fanatics who do not subscribe to the tenets of any religion, in spite of their pretence to Islamic adherence.” the statement reads