The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has described reports by the U.S government suggesting that thousands of Christians are being slaughtered in Nigeria as a gross exaggeration.

Onanuga’s reaction on Saturday was in response to a post by the United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who alleged that radical Islamists and Fulani militias were responsible for the ongoing slaughter of thousands of Christians in Nigeria.

Accused to Rubio on X on Friday, “The ongoing slaughter of thousands of Christians in Nigeria by radical Islamists and Fulani ethnic militias is both tragic and unacceptable. As @POTUS said, the United States stands ready, willing, and able to act.”

Rubio’s comment came after the White House announced and designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over alleged religious freedom violations.

Responding to Rubio via his official X handle, Onanuga wrote, “Dear Secretary Rubio, there is no ongoing slaughter of thousands of Christians in Nigeria. This is a gross exaggeration of the Nigerian situation. What we do have are sporadic attacks on some villages by bandits and terrorists, and the attacks are religiously insensitive. Christians, Muslims, churches, and mosques are attacked randomly.”

He insisted that insecurity in Nigeria is not driven by religion, stressing that both faith communities have suffered from violent attacks across the country.

“What our country requires from America is military support to fight these violent extremists in some states of our country, not designation as a nation of particular concern,” Onanuga added.

In another reply to Rubio, Onanuga said: “Secretary Rubio, Muslim lives matter too.”

NEWSMAXNG reports that the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, rejected the designation, describing it as misleading and unfair.

The government stated that insecurity in Nigeria does not only affect the Christians but Muslims have been victims of attacks.