CISA faults US groups for framing Nigeria’s insecurity as Christian persecution

The Citizens Initiative for Safety Awareness (CISA) has criticised what it described as attempts by some Western groups and members of the U.S. Congress to frame Nigeria’s security crisis as a religious war against Christians.

In a statement on Wednesday, CISA’s National Coordinator, Chidi Omeje, said the claims were misleading and risked undermining Nigeria’s counterterrorism and anti-banditry efforts. He maintained that terrorism and banditry in the country were driven by criminality, extremism, and the struggle for power—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,” Omeje said.

He expressed concern that some U.S. lawmakers and media outlets were using the narrative of Christian persecution to push for Nigeria’s redesignation as a “Country of Particular Concern (CPC),” a move that could harm military cooperation and arms supply to the country.

Omeje urged the international community to rely on verified intelligence and credible data rather than politically motivated reports, noting that even the U.S. Embassy in Abuja had not described Nigeria’s violence as religious genocide.

He stressed that Nigeria’s fight against terrorism was for the safety of all citizens, regardless of religion or ethnicity, and called for constructive international engagement instead of stigmatization.