Nigerian Government has been accused of inaction over the persecution of Christians

Nigerian Government has been accused of inaction over the persecution of Christians

Nigerian Government has been accused of
inaction over the persecution of Christians.

Cutting aid to Nigeria over the persecution
of Christians may lead to more suffering,
Open Doors UK has warned.
The calls have come after a Savanta
ComRes Poll found that half of UK adults
(53%) believe that foreign aid to Nigeria
should be contingent on greater protection
for Christians.
Stephen Rand, adviser to Open Doors UK’s
Advocacy team, has responded with
caution.
He says that the role of UK aid is
“complex” and that while calls for it to be
axed in the case of Nigeria are
“understandable”, they are “misguided”.
“If you simply cut all aid to Nigeria, the
people who would genuinely suffer would
be the poorest families and displaced
communities living in camps. And that’s
true around the world,” he said.
“A simple threat to withdraw aid is unlikely
to change anything. Advocating for change
is a much more complicated and drawn out
process. But the effective and right use of
UK Aid is a real issue – and one over
which the UK government has control.”
Nigeria ranks 12th on the Open Doors
World Watch List of the top 50 countries
where Christians suffer the worst
persecution.
The organisation said that 1,350 Christians
were killed in Nigeria last year, mostly at
the hands of Islamist Fulani herdsmen, but
also militants belonging to the ISIS-linked
terrorist group Boko Haram.
Despite the spread of coronavirus to
Nigeria this year, there is little indication
from Christians in the country that the
violence has abated.
In June, a report by the UK All-Party
Parliamentary Group for International
Freedom of Religion or Belief (APPG-FoRB)
warned of an “unfolding genocide” in the
country.
The report was dedicated to Leah Sharibu,
who was abducted from her school by
Boko Haram two years ago at the age of
14, and kept prisoner after refusing to
renounce her Christian faith.
“Christians are being ruthlessly targeted,
specifically because of their faith,” the
report said.
“Undoubtedly though, peaceable Muslims,
through collateral violence, can also
become victims of this cruel Islamist
religious ideology.
“It is a destructive and divisive ideology
which readily mutates into crimes against
humanity and can pave the way for
genocide. We must not hesitate in saying
so.”
Last month, Nigeria-based human rights
group, the International Society for Civil
Liberties and Rule of Law said that 1,200
Christians had been killed in the first half
of 2020 alone.
Over £2bn in aid was given to Nigeria by
the UK Government between 2011 and
2018, equivalent to around £800,000 a day,
according to Rand.
He predicts that this figure will be slashed
as a result of coronavirus. Instead of
cutting it altogether, he believes that
whatever aid is given is better invested to
help persecuted Christians.
“So it’s vital that instead of threatening the
Nigerian government, the UK government
need to find ways to work with them and
spend that money more wisely,” he said.
He believes UK aid should be focused on
Nigeria’s middle belt, the region running
between the largely Muslim north of the
country and mostly Christian south.
“That’s where the killings are taking place,”
he said.
“We need to protect religious minorities
from being subjected to discrimination,
persecution and even genocide. And that
process has to start with both the UK
Government and the Nigerian Government
recognising the very definite religious
dimension to this slaughter.”
In addition to the thousands killed, an
estimated 300,000 Nigerians have been
displaced as a result of the violence.
Open Doors is distributing food and aid,
and providing financial support to
vulnerable Christians affected by the
ongoing violence. It says an estimated
9,000 Christian families are living without a
secure source of food.
Rand said that it was time these families
receive compensation and “a chance to
rebuild their lives and livelihoods”.
“This is a waste of nobody’s money,” he
said.