Insecurity threatening religious freedom in Nigeria-by UN Envoy

Nazila Ghanea, the United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, has said persistent insecurity, violence, and impunity are weakening religious freedom across Nigeria.

Ghanea made the remarks on Friday in Abuja while presenting her preliminary findings after an 11-day official visit to the country.

The UN envoy visited Nigeria between June 8 and June 19, during which she met with government officials, security agencies, judicial officers, religious leaders, civil society organisations, victims of violence, and members of the diplomatic community.

According to her, concerns about insecurity dominated discussions surrounding freedom of religion or belief throughout the visit.

She noted that violence ranging from terrorism and banditry to kidnappings, land disputes, and attacks on communities has spread across several parts of the country.

“Discussion of freedom of religion or belief in Nigeria elicits very acute concerns about insecurity, violence and conflict which has spread throughout the country and has generated huge alarm,” she said.

Ghanea listed terrorist attacks, gang violence, banditry, land grabbing, mass displacement, armed conflict, cattle rustling, hostage-taking, arson, destruction of worship centres and schools, large-scale kidnappings, and unrest linked to protests and strikes among the major security challenges facing the country.

She also expressed concern over what she described as widespread impunity and lack of accountability, saying these have deepened cycles of violence, especially in rural communities where residents repeatedly suffer attacks without justice.

According to the UN expert, some affected communities disclosed that they were forced into so-called “peace deals” with bandits, including surrendering farmland and other resources.

Ghanea further condemned repeated attacks on schools and the abduction of children, describing them as serious violations of children’s rights.

“What remains uncontested is that, at the village and hamlet levels in particular concentrations of the country, scores of innocent people experience killings, mass violence and the total decimation of their livelihoods, time and again, witnessing little or no justice,” she added.

The rapporteur said many Nigerians still perceive the country through the lens of a predominantly Muslim north and Christian south, warning that such narratives oversimplify Nigeria’s religious and cultural diversity.

She also criticised the inclusion of religion on some administrative forms, arguing that it reinforces religion as a central organising factor in society and leaves room for political exploitation.

“The existence of the religion field in such forms reinforces religion as a predominant organising principle of Nigerian society which, in turn, makes it highly susceptible to religion being ‘played’ for power, politics and wealth,” she said.

Ghanea additionally raised concerns over alleged discrimination against religious minorities and non-religious persons in different parts of the country.

She said discussions around insecurity have often overshadowed issues of marginalisation and discrimination based on religion or belief.

According to her, several stakeholders alleged “systematic discrimination faced by Christians throughout the north” as well as “a narrower bandwidth of rights for Muslims in the south”.

The UN envoy called for an end to religious profiling and urged authorities to promote equal rights and protections for all Nigerians regardless of their faith.