Senior Adviser to US President Donald Trump on Arab and African Affairs, Massad Boulos, has dismissed claims of a Christian genocide in Nigeria.
Boulos made the remarks during a visit to President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja on Friday.
His comments come amid growing calls by US lawmakers to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over alleged persecution of Christians.
According to him, those familiar with Nigeria’s realities understand 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, but it’s very unfortunate.
“We even know that Boko Haram and ISIS are killing more Muslims than Christians. People are suffering from all sorts of backgrounds. This is not specifically targeted about one group or the other.
“However, any loss of life is one too many, and we should work together in partnership to put an end to this,” he said.
He further explained that Nigeria’s Middle Belt has experienced deadly clashes between farmers and herders, noting that many of the farmer casualties have been Christians.
The US envoy described Nigeria as a melting pot of diverse ethnic and religious groups, with an almost even split between Christians and Muslims.
