The Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro) Friday called on the federal government to reject any moves by the United States Congress calling for the imposition of sanctions on Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians.
The organisation also urged Nigerian religious and political leaders to resist divisive narratives and maintain national unity in the face of external pressure.
The group said the move by the United States Congress was capable of aiding Boko Haram propaganda through its decision to impose sanctions on Nigeria over alleged Christian persecution.
PeacePro, in a statement by its executive director, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, in Ilorin, described the move as “reckless and misleading,” warning that it could embolden terrorist groups like Boko Haram by reinforcing their false narrative that the Nigerian government was waging a war on Christians.
In a strongly worded statement, Hamzat argued that Boko Haram and other terrorist organisations had long exploited religious tensions to justify their attacks and recruit followers.
By framing Nigeria’s security challenges as a religious conflict, PeacePro said the US Congress was effectively lending credibility to Boko Haram’s divisive messaging.
“The US Congress’s decision to impose sanctions on Nigeria over misleading claims of Christian persecution plays directly into Boko Haram’s propaganda strategy. This false narrative fuels recruitment and deepens divisions within Nigerian society. The US Congress’s actions are now reinforcing this dangerous lie,” he said.
PeacePro highlighted that over 216,506 people were killed in the United States through homicides and gun violence between 2020 and 2022, more than 400% higher than the 55,910 deaths reported in Nigeria between October 2019 and September 2023.
“Despite this alarming figure, the US Congress has chosen to impose sanctions on Nigeria while ignoring its own domestic crisis of violence and mass shootings.
“This double standard exposes the political nature of the US Congress’s decision.
“If the goal is to address human rights violations and violence, the US Congress should first confront the epidemic of gun violence within its own borders.
“The Nigerian government is fighting a complex battle against terrorism and organised crime. External interference rooted in false religious narratives only undermines Nigeria’s efforts and strengthens the hand of terrorist groups.”