In what appeared as a subtle protest, Nigeria’s mission to the United Nations has raised concerns over its exclusion from a U.S.-hosted discussion in which rapper Nicki Minaj alleged that Christians in Nigeria are being targeted and killed.
Syndoph Endoni, chargé d’affaires at Nigeria’s UN mission, said U.S. officials barred Nigerian representatives, though present, from attending the event at UN headquarters on Tuesday, despite the discussion centering on allegations of Christian persecution in the country.
“It is important to ensure the country concerned in the ongoing allegations of genocide against Christians is present, aware and has a voice in the matter,” Endoni said, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). He described the decision as akin to “shaving our head in our absence.”
He further said, “This is because you should not make important decisions or take action on something that involves a country without their presence or consent.”
During her visit to the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday, Minaj said Christians in Nigeria “are being targeted, driven from their homes, and killed”.
The rapper was invited by Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, “for an in-depth discussion about what our administration is doing to protect Christians’ freedoms all over the world”.
Endoni said the decision to exclude Nigeria from the discussion amounted to “shaving our head in our absence”.
Patricia Mahoney, US senior advisor for African affairs, had reportedly visited the Nigerian House in New York to inform Endoni about the Minaj event.
Mahomey added that three UN member states were invited with other personalities, including a pastor from Nigeria.
However, she noted that no representative of the Nigerian government, including from the country’s UN mission, would attend the “private” event.
“We asked the US authorities if it was okay to continue to shave someone’s hair in his absence,” Endoni said.
“We further highlighted that the Nigerian government is not standing idly by to watch the atrocities perpetrated by the criminals.”
The Nigerian envoy expressed concerns over the US’s actions of naming and shaming, noting that it is capable of causing apprehension in the country.
According to NAN, the main reason Nigeria was denied participation was to honour the participant’s specific request not to allow the country’s officials for fear of retribution for them and their families.