More than 50,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria over the past two decades, and “the silence from Western nations on this genocide is appalling,” a new report from International Christian Concern asserts.
The report, released in mid-July, is based on open-source research, information collected from ICC field staff and first-hand testimony the organization’s advocacy staff heard during a trip to Nigeria in March.
The report, written by ICC advocacy manager McKenna Wendt, presents documented examples, case studies and other data to support organization’s position calling on the U.S. Department of State to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.
That designation is reserved for nations that engage in or tolerate “systemic, ongoing and egregious” violations of religious freedom.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has recommended CPC status for Nigeria every year since 2009. The State Department designated Nigeria as a CPC only once, in 2020, but the designation was removed the following year.
“While the State Department has recognized religious tensions in the region, the violence is often attributed to issues of climate change, farmer-herder conflicts, and ethnic divides,” the report states.
“Although these factors are certainly at play, it is a grave misjudgment to downplay the religious components of these conflicts and solely attribute them to secondary issues.”
Religiously motivated violence left unchecked
Because the United States has failed to hold Nigeria accountable, the nation’s government has allowed religiously motivated violence by groups such as Boko Haram, ISIS-West Africa, Fulani militias and armed bandit gangs.
“The unchecked violence and discrimination have led to severe loss of life, particularly Christians, and the conflict continues to undermine the Nigerian government, threaten national security, and cause significant economic loss,” the report states. “It has also weakened the efficacy of U.S. foreign policy tools in regard to promoting international religious freedom.”
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Boko Haram has kidnapped Christian girls and young women, subjecting them to beating, torture, rape, starvation, forced marriages and forced conversion to Islam, as well as compelling them to participate in suicide bombings, ICC reports.
Between 2009 and 2014, Boko Haram was responsible for kidnapping at least 22,000 Christians and burning 13,000 churches and 1,500 Christian schools, the report notes.
“Last year, the group was accountable for the deaths of roughly 500 Nigerian Christians, and their violence has continued into 2024,” the report states.
ISIS-West Africa similarly has targeted Christians, publicly executing 11 Christian workers for their faith in 2019 and bombing a Catholic church in 2022, killing 40 worshippers and injuring dozens more, ICC reports.
Fulani militia operate primarily in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, targeting Christian communities, churches and their leaders. On Christmas Eve last year, they killed more than 200 Christians in coordinated attacks on 21 predominantly Christian villages.
The ICC report notes specific examples in 2023 of a Catholic priest burned alive, one pastor whose left hand was amputated and another shot in the head, at least 13 women from a predominantly Christian village assaulted and raped, and a farmer beheaded for teaching children in a Christian church.
“The outcry of Nigerian Christians is falling on deaf ears,” the report states. “It is time for the United States to answer their call for help.”
Policy recommendations
The report includes specific policy recommendations for the U.S. government in addition to designating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.
Recommendations include conducting “a comprehensive analysis of U.S. aid distribution in the region to ensure maximum effectiveness of aid disbursement.”
“Financial assistance provided by the U.S. to Nigeria must be contingent upon substantial improvements in religious freedom,” the report states.
Other recommendations include the appointment both of an ambassador to Nigeria “as soon as possible to improve diplomatic relations and to address religious freedom concerns,” and the appointment of a special envoy to Nigeria who would track and report on violence in the country.
The report also calls on the U.S. government to “encourage the Nigerian federal government to pursue police reform and strengthen judicial capacity” to provide better regional security.
‘Work in tandem with local leaders’ efforts’
Wissam al-Saliby, president of the 21Wilberforce human rights and religious freedom organization, said his organization “hopes that U.S. foreign policy supports to the maximum extent possible religious freedom in Nigeria.”
Al-Saliby was returning from the Baptist World Alliance annual meeting in Lagos, Nigeria, about the time ICC released its report.
While in Nigeria, he and 21Wilberforce Executive Director John Gongwer enjoyed fellowship with Christians there, met with former senior government officials and “held several rounds of conversations with church leaders to understand how we can partner with them,” al-Saliby said.
The latter may be most important in terms of promoting international religious freedom, he noted.
“While most advocates in the West call for the U.S. Dept. of State to once again designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, we heard from most of our various interlocutors in Nigeria that the CPC designation is more effective when they work in tandem with local leaders’ efforts, and when U.S. foreign policy prioritizes religious freedom and human rights consistently, based on facts and evidence,” al-Saliby said.
“Nigeria is blessed with large, wealthy and influential Christian denominations and conventions. For example, with approximately 9 million members, Nigeria has the largest Baptist convention [in the Baptist World Alliance]. Local leadership from these believers can be a powerful force for change.
“21Wilberforce’s commitment, before my joining as president and even more so now, is to equip local Christians to lead on the research, outreach to their government, and advocacy in support of religious freedom. We have made significant inroads towards this objective and have started plans for our next visit.”
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