Members of Parliament (MPs) in the United Kingdom have urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to confront President Bola Tinubu over the killing of Christians while he is in the UK for a state visit.
Tinubu and his wife, Remi Tinubu, will be hosted by the King and Queen at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, where they will attend a state banquet as guests of honour.
The president will then travel to Downing Street to meet with Starmer on Thursday, marking the first state visit by a Nigerian president in 37 years.
MPs from the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Freedom of Religion or Belief (APPG FoRB) have written to the Development Minister, Baroness Jenny Chapman, calling on the Government to pressure Tinubu to protect human rights in his country.
This comes amid Nigeria’s ranking as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for Christians, following prolific coordinated attacks by Islamist terrorist groups, such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province.
MP Jim Shannon, the group’s chairman, said Nigeria must ‘take concrete steps to prevent the harassment, persecution and killing of Christians, while ensuring that perpetrators are investigated and prosecuted’.
The group of 209 MPs and peers expressed concern that the Nigerian state has failed to treat the attacks with the level of seriousness required.
They demanded the Government shed light on the case of Leah Sharibu, who was one of the 110 schoolgirls kidnapped in 2018.
APPG FoRB also urged Sir Keir to ensure that human rights obligations become fundamental to all future diplomatic, security and trade discussions.
It has requested a response from Baroness Chapman before the state visit.
