Following US President Donald Trump’s decision to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” due to the frequent and deadly persecution of Christians, Nigerians both at home and abroad have written to senior politicians in the country to end the abuses.
Despite being around 50 per cent Christian, Nigeria is currently ranked by Open Doors as the 11th worst country in the world for anti-Christian persecution, due largely to sectarian violence coming from the large Islamic population.
More Christians are killed or abducted in Nigeria every year than in any other country. Last week alone there were two deadly attacks on Christian churches.
Now the Global Coalition on Freedom of Religion in Nigeria (GCFRN), which represents Nigerians at home and abroad, has sent an open letter to the Nigerian Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, demanding urgent action.
On many occasions Nigerian security services have failed to prevent attacks, even when advance warning has been given, the coalition warns. On other occasions, the security services have done their best to defend the local population, but were too ill-equipped to do so effectively.
In their letter the GCFRN accused the Nigerian National Assembly of attempting “to deny what is already undeniable”. Continuing on this path will prove “that the Nigerian government at best, is too weak to confront the situation in Nigeria and or is even complicit”.
The GCFRN made a number of recommendations to help redress the constant abuses, including the ending of blasphemy laws, the restoration of land to communities displaced by militants, and the creation of a department to record and investigate allegations of crimes against religious freedom.
Scot Bower, the CEO of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, added his support to the GCFRN. He called on the Nigerian government to "urgently address violations of freedom of religion or belief across the country".
"Recent attacks in Borno, Kaduna, Kebbi and Kwara States – just a snapshot of the appalling violence to which communities in the north and centre of the country have been subjected for over a decade - underscore the severity of the security situation yet again and must be responded to decisively," he said.
“We call on the international community to assist Nigeria wherever possible in tracing and holding funders, facilitators and perpetrators of terror- and religion-related violence to account.”
