The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, has urged Nigerians to avoid interpreting terrorist attacks through a religious lens, stressing that the victims of insurgency and violence come from all faiths, ethnicities, and regions — with Muslims accounting for the higher number of casualties.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja, Mills described every loss of life as “absolutely unfortunate,” noting that terrorism spares no religion or tribe. “Any incident, any loss of life is absolutely unfortunate. Those who know the terrain well definitely know terrorism has no value, no religion, no tribe,” he said.
“People of all religions, all tribes are dying as a result of terrorist acts. It’s very unfortunate, we even know that Boko Haram and ISIS are killing more Muslims than Christians. So people are suffering from all sorts of backgrounds; this is not specifically targeted at 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 added.
Mills’ comments follow renewed debate over the religious dimensions of Nigeria’s security challenges, sparked by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz’s recent claims that Christians were being singled out for attacks.
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Responding, the envoy explained that violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and other hotspots is often fueled by complex socio-economic and communal tensions rather than religious persecution.
“With regards to the incident that happened in the Middle Belt, for example, where most of these farmers are relocated, and many happen to be Christians, there have been clashes with some herdsmen. But it’s not something we can say is specifically targeted at a specific group,” he clarified.
The U.S. envoy also praised President Bola Tinubu’s administration for recent steps taken to strengthen security and reduce attacks in troubled areas.
“We must work together to put an end to this. Nigeria’s government and President Tinubu’s administration have recently taken additional measures and put more resources in these areas, and we’ve seen some improvement in recent weeks. We appreciate those measures and definitely look forward to more,” he said.
Reaffirming Washington’s support for Nigeria’s unity and peace, Mills commended the country’s longstanding culture of religious tolerance.
“Nigeria is a country in which all sorts of religious, ethnic, tribal, and other groups have lived together in harmony for centuries. The population is split roughly 50–50 between Christians and Muslims, but this has never been an issue and it should never be,” he stated.