Senior Adviser to United States President, Donald Trump, on Arab and African Affairs, Mr. Massad Boulos, has dismissed recent allegations of Christian persecution in Nigeria, stating that terrorist groups like Boko Haram and ISIS have killed more Muslims than Christians in the country.
Boulos made the remarks while speaking with journalists in Rome on Friday following a meeting with Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
His comments come amid renewed claims of religious targeting in Nigeria made by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and TV host Bill Maher.
Describing any loss of life as “unfortunate,” Boulos stressed that terrorism in Nigeria does not discriminate on the basis of religion or ethnicity.
“Those who know the terrain well know that terrorism has no colour, no religion, and no tribe. People of all religions and all tribes are dying as a result of terrorist acts. We even know that Boko Haram and ISIS are killing more Muslims than Christians. This is not specifically targeted at one group or the other,” Boulos said.
He noted that the U.S. is aware of the efforts being made by the Tinubu-led administration to address insecurity, particularly the long-standing farmer-herder conflicts affecting the North-Central region.
“The Nigerian government and President Tinubu’s administration have recently taken additional measures and put more resources in those areas, and we’ve seen some improvements in recent weeks. We appreciate those measures, and we definitely look forward to more of those, and we look forward to ending these sorts of acts, wherever they come from,” he added.
Highlighting Nigeria’s long-standing religious balance, Boulos described the country as a “melting pot” of peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims.
“Nigeria’s population is split almost 50/50 between Christians and Muslims. This has never been a serious religious issue, and should not be. We appreciate what President Tinubu has done, and we shall continue to work together to make sure it’s taken care of,” he said.
Boulos reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to supporting Nigeria in resolving internal conflicts and strengthening national unity. He encouraged continued collaboration between both countries to eliminate terrorism and promote lasting peace across all regions.
