Premium News
The Republican Mayor of Blanco, Texas, Mike Arnold, has condemned Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, accusing him of lying on international television to defend the government amid global outrage over alleged Christian killings in the country.
Arnold, who made the comments on his verified X account on Wednesday, reacted to Idris’s recent CNN interview, where the minister dismissed claims of a Christian genocide in Nigeria as “baseless” and “based on faulty data.”
The outspoken mayor, who said he personally knows Idris, described the minister as “Nigeria’s spin doctor-in-chief” and accused him of using propaganda to shield Tinubu’s administration from accountability.
“I know this guy. Nigerian Minister of Information. Omokri was an independent PR hack. This guy is Nigeria’s spin doctor-in-chief. Major background in PR/advertising and political party propaganda,” Arnold wrote.
He continued, “Mohammed Idris made millions shaping narratives. Now he’s denying genocide on CNN like it’s just another PR crisis.”
In another post, Arnold expressed outrage over the minister’s remarks, adding, “When the graves speak, will he still call it ‘baseless’? @HMMohammedIdris — you are on the wrong side of history. For shame. The world will remember your lies and spin to hide the Nigerian Holocaust.”
Arnold alleged that Idris’s attempt to dismiss reports of religious persecution could cost innocent lives, saying, “It is quite likely innocent Nigerians will die because of your duplicity.”
His comments came after the minister, during his CNN appearance, refuted claims by some United States lawmakers who accused the Nigerian government of allowing the “systematic persecution and slaughter of Christians”.
Idris insisted that the violence was not religiously motivated, stating that both Christians and Muslims were victims of attacks across Nigeria.
“Some of the claims made by officials of the United States are based on faulty data and the assumption that victims of violence are largely Christians,” Idris said during the interview.
“Yes, there are Christians being attacked, but these criminals do not target one religion; they attack both Christians and Muslims, especially in the northern part of the country,” he added.
In a follow-up statement released by his media aide, Rabiu Ibrahim, Idris maintained that Nigeria remains committed to religious freedom and human rights, warning that framing the insecurity crisis as a religious war could deepen divisions.
“The minister cautioned that framing the country’s insecurity as a religious war could deepen national divisions and play into the hands of criminals seeking to inflame tensions. ‘Characterising these attacks as being against Christians alone will drive Nigeria towards unnecessary division,’ he warned.”
Arnold’s reaction has since gone viral, with several Nigerians echoing his criticism and accusing Tinubu’s government of gaslighting the public and the international community.
Human rights advocates argue that Idris’s comments mirror the administration’s growing tendency to dismiss genuine concerns rather than confront systemic violence and impunity.
The backlash underscores the deepening mistrust between the Tinubu government and foreign observers, many of whom have questioned Nigeria’s handling of religious and ethnic conflicts in recent years.
