Attacks and killings of Christians in Nigeria have not abated under President Bola Tinubu one year after President Donald Trump’s administration designated it as a “country of particular concern”, says U.S. lawmaker Chris Smith.
Mr Smith, a Republican lawmaker from New Jersey and chair of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Sub-committee, led the congressional hearing to review Nigeria’s CPC designation after one year and read out Ms Shea’s testimony in his opening statement on Thursday.
“A year later, the atrocities continue to mount, and Nigeria maintains its ranking as the world’s deadliest place for Christians for faith-related reasons, accounting for 72 percent of such killings worldwide, according to Open Doors,” Mr Smith stated, citing Nina Shea’s would-be testimony.
Ms Shea is a U.S lawyer and Christian freedom advocate.
The testimony identified Fulani militias as the greatest threat to Christians in Nigeria, stating they orchestrated deadly attacks in Benue, Plateau, Kaduna, and Taraba.
“One of our witnesses today,” said Mr Smith, “Nina Shea, will testify: ‘A year later, the atrocities continue to mount, and Nigeria maintains its ranking as the world’s deadliest place for Christians for faith-related reasons, accounting for 72 percent of such killings worldwide, according to Open Doors… The greatest threat to Nigeria’s Christians in recent years has been posed by bands of Fulani Muslim militants in the Middle Belt states particularly Benue, Plateau, Kaduna, and Taraba.
“‘In a consistent pattern evidencing a degree of organization, coordination, and funding support, Fulani militias invade rural Christian villages and farming areas and murder, maim, rape, and kidnap for ransom the defenseless residents and their church leaders. Thousands of Christians have been killed and taken hostage for ransom in these unprovoked attacks, which continue to the present.
‘”This violence has forced over a million survivors of such attacks from their lands and homes, and they are now destitute and hopeless, indefinitely consigned to camps for displaced persons. Nigeria’s government has failed to protect the Middle Belt Christians from Fulani terror.’”
Mr Smith said the sub-committee sought to end the persecution of Christians and allow them to freely practise their faith without fear and violence.
“The Nigerian government has a critical responsibility to protect its citizens, and I urge the State Department to leverage all diplomatic tools to bring action and accountability,” Mr Smith said.
He alleged that Nigerian government had imbibed the culture of denial to turn a blind eye to the impunity of Islamic extremists.
“For too long, the Nigerian government and the world have looked away—a culture of denial—as radical Fulani militants, Boko Haram and ISIS/West Africa have waged a relentless campaign of terror, murder, and displacement across Nigeria,” Mr Smith said.
