The Federal Government has opened diplomatic talks with the United States following threats of possible military action against Nigeria by US President Donald Trump.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this during an interview with Sky News, assuring that discussions between both nations were yielding positive results.
"Channels of communication have been opened. I can confirm that we are talking with them, and I think they are understanding the situation better. We believe that most of the information is a result of a lack of a proper understanding of the diversity and complexity of the problem we have at hand," he said.
Idris disclosed that Nigeria had not lost any territory to Boko Haram insurgents, stressing that the nation’s counterinsurgency efforts did not mirror conventional warfare.
The minister also alleged that some proscribed separatist groups were working with lobbyists in the United States to misrepresent Nigeria’s internal security situation.
"Let me also put it out there that we are seeing a direct connection between US lobbyists and a proscribed terrorist organisation in Nigeria. They have set up this lobby in the US, contacting high-up people to misinform them," he said.
Despite the tensions triggered by Trump’s comments, Idris affirmed that the US had long been a strategic ally in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism.
"In the past, the United States government has helped Nigerian authorities to deal with this situation. We are calling on them to partner with us once again, to help push this through and achieve peace once and for all," he said.
He also dismissed claims of widespread religious persecution, arguing that much of the data being circulated lacked credibility.
"Some of the assumptions are based on data that largely cannot stand any scientific scrutiny," adding that Nigeria’s constitution guarantees religious freedom and that the ongoing conflicts are not rooted in faith.
President Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform on November 2, ordered the Pentagon to prepare a "possible plan of attack" on Nigeria, alleging that Christianity was "facing an existential threat" in the country.
"If Nigeria does not stem the killings, the United States will attack, and it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our cherished Christians," Trump wrote.
When questioned aboard Air Force One two weeks later, the US President refused to rule out the use of American troops or air strikes, saying, "Could be, I envisage a lot of things."
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