Nigeria, Feb. 25 -- The Nigerian government has said it does not have an official policy that permits religious violence or targeted attacks against a religious group.

In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, the government reiterated that Nigeria's security crisis is not driven by another government policy or religious bias but a combination of "complex security threats."

"It is important to state clearly that Nigeria does not have, and has never had, a state policy of religious persecution.

"The violence being confronted by our security agencies is not driven by government policy or religious bias, but by complex security threats, including terrorism, organis...