Senior Adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump on Arab and African Affairs, Massad Boulos, has dismissed widespread allegations of a targeted genocide against Christians in Nigeria.
Boulos made the remarks during a courtesy visit to President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja on Friday.
His comments come amid growing pressure from U.S. lawmakers, some of whom have called on the White House to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over alleged religious persecution, particularly of Christians.
The Trump administration, however, has not yet responded publicly to those calls.
Responding to questions about the U.S. government’s stance on religious violence in Nigeria, Boulos said, “Those who know the terrain well know that terrorism has no colour, no religion, and no tribe.”
He acknowledged the widespread suffering across religious and ethnic lines, noting that extremist groups like Boko Haram and ISIS have also killed large numbers of Muslims.
“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.”
Boulos noted that the Middle Belt region has experienced deadly conflicts between farmers and herders, with a considerable number of victims among Christian farming communities.
“But definitely it’s not something that we can say is specifically targeted about a specific group,” he added.
Boulos called Nigeria a melting pot of ethnic and religious identities, noting a near-even split between Christians and Muslims.
“This has never been a serious religious issue and should not be,” he said.
While noting some signs of progress, the U.S. official said the Tinubu government has implemented new security measures.
He emphasised that sustained partnership with the U.S. would be crucial to achieving long-term results.