A former lawmaker has condemned a US congressman’s call for the repeal of Sharia and blasphemy laws, describing the proposal submitted to President Donald Trump as “mischievous” and an unacceptable interference in the country’s internal affairs.
Aminu Danmaliki, who represented a Bauchi constituency in the House of Representatives, made the remarks at a press conference on Friday while rejecting claims of Christian genocide in northern Nigeria.
“Nigeria is not experiencing Christian genocide in any part of the country,” Danmaliki said.
He added that the nation’s security challenges stem from insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, governance weaknesses and arms proliferation across the Sahel, not religious targeting.
“These are complex security problems affecting Nigerians regardless of religion,” he said.
Danmaliki insisted Sharia operates strictly within Nigeria’s constitutional framework and applies only to Muslims, with non-Muslims retaining full access to secular courts.
“Sharia in Nigeria is a constitutional right of Muslims and functions alongside other legal systems within the country,” he said.
He warned that foreign pressure based on “selective storytelling” could worsen divisions and undermine peace efforts.
“Nigeria deserves partnership grounded in truth, not pressure built on selective storytelling,” Danmaliki added.
The lawmaker noted that prominent voices, including Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, Pope Francis, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, the Federal Government and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, have also dismissed the genocide narrative.
