The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has faulted U.S’s removal of Nigeria from the list of countries with religious concern, insisting that there are still religious threats in the country.
This is contained in a statement by CAN President, Rev. Samson Ayokunle made available to newsmen on Sunday.
According to the statement, available statistic shows that there are still threats to religious tolerance in most parts of the country.
Recall that Nigeria was placed on the list alongside other countries during the regime of President Donald Trump in 2020 for alleged toleration of “severe violations of religious freedom.”
The United States on Wednesday, however removed Nigeria from the list of religious freedom violators when the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken visited President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
CAN asked the US to disclose the statistics it used to arrive at the decision to remove Nigeria from the list of religious freedom violators.
Read the CAN statement below:
“The US government did not contact us when they were listing Nigeria among the countries of ‘Particular Concern’ on religious freedom, neither did they seek our opinion before removing Nigeria from the list.
“If they had done, we would have been able to compare the statistics, then and now, on the issue of freedom of religion in Nigeria.
“All right-thinking people would continue to ask the US government to let the world know what has changed on the issue of religious freedom and persecution the Christians are facing between the time they placed the country in the list of ‘Countries of Particular Concern’ and now.
“CAN, in particular, will like to know. This is because all the factors that put Nigeria on the CPC list for the first time in 2020 are still there.
