- Balofin says killings stem from criminal banditry, not religious persecution
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- Envoy warns politicians may weaponise suffering ahead of 2027 elections
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Nigeria’s top political representative in the United States, Dr. Taiwo Ajibolu Balofin, has told the U.S. Congress that the insecurity affecting parts of Nigeria is being wrongly framed as religious persecution, stressing that verified data shows criminal banditry, not faith-motivated attacks, is now driving most of the violence in Nigeria.
Balofin, who serves as Chairman of APC USA and official spokesman for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in the United States, addressed the House Subcommittee on Africa on Thursday. He said while both Christians and Muslims continue to suffer immense losses, Congress must rely on full, evidence-based reporting rather than selective narratives. He noted that members of his own family have lost relatives, homes and even churches to violence, but insisted that the pattern of attacks is no longer rooted in religion.
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He told the committee that independent institutions including the International Crisis Group, ACLED, the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Council on Foreign Relations have all documented a shift in the North-West and North-Central from Boko Haram’s ideological insurgency to criminal networks specialising in kidnapping-for-ransom, extortion and land disputes. He pointed out that more than 60 per cent of reported abductions in states such as Kaduna, Zamfara and Katsina this year occurred in Muslim communities, underscoring the non-religious nature of the violence.
Balofin added that the Tinubu administration is tackling insecurity with what he described as the most aggressive response in years, including expanded troop deployments, boosted air operations using US-supplied Super Tucano aircraft, and new stabilisation programmes that have led to the rescue of thousands of hostages from various communities. He said these efforts contributed to a 28 per cent reduction in communal-violence deaths compared to the previous year.
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As the country moves toward the 2027 elections, he cautioned that some political actors may exploit genuine tragedies to create polarising narratives. He urged the Subcommittee to continue relying on verified, multi-source information rather than emotionally charged claims. Balofin also warned that broad punitive measures from Washington would undermine joint counter-terrorism efforts and hand extremist networks a propaganda win, noting that “partnership, not sanctions, saves the most lives fastest.”
To strengthen cooperation, he proposed three steps: a joint U.S.–Nigeria Religious Freedom and Security Working Group, scaling up USAID-supported community resilience projects, particularly those that have reduced violence in southern Kaduna, and establishing a transparent Victims of Violence Trust Fund to assist affected Christians and Muslims equally.
Balofin concluded by commending Chairman Chris Smith for his long-standing advocacy for persecuted communities worldwide and urged Congress to remain committed to evidence-driven support for Nigeria. Speaking on behalf of President Tinubu, he said Nigerians across all faiths “simply want peace.”
