A leading Nigerian human rights organization has published a report claiming that largely Muslim Fulani herdsmen killed about 700 Christians in May as “farewell gifts” to former President Muhamadu Buhari.
Newsroom (14/06/2023 20:30, Gaudium Press) A prominent Nigerian human rights organization has published a report claiming that hundreds of Christians were killed by largely Muslim Fulani herdsmen in May as “farewell gifts” to former President Muhamadu Buhari. The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law released the report on June 12, alleging that the Fulani herdsmen carried out these killings to bid farewell to a president accused of promoting an anti-Christian, pro-Muslim agenda during his tenure.
The report, compiled by Emeka Umeagbalasi, a Catholic human rights activist and chairman of the organization, provides details of alleged Christian killings in several states. According to the report, Plateau state witnessed 350 Christian deaths, followed by Benue with 190, Kaduna with 100, Nasarawa with 62, Niger with 50, Taraba with 40, and Borno/Yobe with 40, among others. The report claims that a total of 1,100 defenceless Christians were hacked to death by Islamic Jihadists between April 12 and June 12, 2023, averaging 17 Christian deaths per day.
The report also asserts that non-state actors and Nigerian Government-backed Islamic Jihadists have slaughtered 2,150 Christians in the past 160 days, from January 1 to June 12, 2023. Additionally, it claims that over 1,400 Christians have been abducted, with an estimated 10 per cent, or 140 individuals, unlikely to return alive to their families.
According to the report, at least 100 churches were destroyed by Islamic Jihadists between April 12 and June 12, resulting in attacks on 20 pastors. The document aligns with an earlier report from April 10, which stated that since a 2009 Islamic uprising, at least 53,350 Christians have been killed, along with the destruction of 18,100 churches and 2,200 schools. During Buhari’s eight-year tenure, along with Nasir El-Rufai, the outgoing governor of Kaduna State, where much of the Fulani-driven violence occurred, the report alleges that 31,350 Christians were killed and over 200 pastors were attacked.
The report highlights the grave threats faced by over 50 million Christians in Northern Nigeria, stating that 14 million have been displaced, 8 million forced to flee their homes, and 5 million displaced within Nigeria and in refugee camps. It attributes the rise in assaults on Christians and Christian churches to the “radical Islamism” of Buhari and El-Rufai, citing a recorded statement by El-Rufai boasting about the implementation of Islamic rule in Kaduna State since 2015.
The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law is now calling for the arrest of El-Rufai, Buhari, and others accused of genocide and crimes against humanity. It urges the UK government, as a party to the Statute of the International Criminal Court, to block their entry into the country or arrest and charge them if they set foot on UK soil. The organization also calls for the termination of any appointments or elections held by these individuals, such as El-Rufai’s academic board membership at Oxford.
The report concludes by criticizing the UK government for hosting violators and abusers of human rights and promoting genocide, stating that it contradicts the country’s self-proclaimed status as a promoter of democracy and human rights.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Crux Now
