The US envoy to the UN on Tuesday urged accountability over reported religious violence in Nigeria, describing the country as “under siege.”
“Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation and a vibrant mosaic of cultures and faiths,” Mike Waltz said during a streamed online event.
He alleged Boko Haram carries out “targeted violence” against Christian communities, citing a sharp rise in attacks reported this year by Open Doors NGO.
Waltz claimed that “80% of the violence against Christians worldwide is occurring in Nigeria” and reiterated the need for global voices demanding accountability.
Nigeria’s government has firmly rejected allegations of large-scale religious persecution, insisting no level of authority supports such actions.
“At any level — federal, regional, or local — it’s impossible,” Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar said in early November, defending the country’s record.
The African Union Commission head, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, also dismissed US claims, stating there is no genocide in northern Nigeria.
He urged critics to consider the situation’s “complexity” before making accusations, differentiating the region’s security challenges from atrocities in Sudan or eastern DRC.
Nigeria faces security threats from a mix of terrorist groups, armed gangs, ethnic militias, and herder-farmer conflicts often linked to social and economic tensions.
The debate over Nigeria’s security landscape reflects deep divisions between international allegations and domestic reassurances, highlighting a fragile balance between perception and reality.
