A pro-democracy group, the National Democratic Coalition, has petitioned the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, over the killing of Christians in Plateau and other states in Nigeria.
Decrying the spates of religious persecution in the country, NADECO observed that no fewer than 300 Christians were killed between 2021 and 2023 in Nigeria, while over 1.5million natives were displaced within the period.
The Executive Director of NADECO, in the USA, Dr. Lloyd Ukwu, said this in a statement, on Tuesday.
The statement read, “Dear Mr. President,
The National Democratic Coalition ( NADECO) is troubled by the level of religious persecution going on in Nigeria as evidenced by the Christmas Day Massacre in Plateau State Nigeria.
NADECO wishes to call your attention to the fact that some years back you ordered the removal of Nigeria from the list of countries with religious freedom concerns, just a day before Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Nigeria. The people of Nigeria considered your actions indeed outrageous that the State Department has removed Nigeria as a Country of Special Concern list entirely, not even placing it on the less severe Special Watch List for religious persecution.
“It was of a grave concern to most Nigerians that your administration designated two entities from Nigeria as “Entities of Special Concern” – Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa – but not the Fulani jihadist militias that have been responsible for the majority of the killings of Christians in Nigeria in recent years.
“As you probably know, NADECO (USA), is Nigeria’s premier and foremost pro-democracy group based in Washington DC. NADECO, formed on 15 May 1994 by a broad coalition of Nigerian democrats, called on the military government of Sani Abacha to step down in favor of the winner of the 12 June 1993 election, M.K.O. Abiola. The organization quickly became the symbol of mass resistance against military rule and a target of the military government.
“NADECO, in late 2022 and in early 2023 raised alarm concerning the elections that were scheduled in February 2023. The elections were finally adjudged by Nigerians and International observers to be the worst elections that Nigeria has ever conducted. The so-called winner of the dangerously flawed election, Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been condemned by NADECO and numerous International bodies.”
According to the group, the fulanisation agenda of the country began during the Buhari regime, adding the Tinubu’s administration kept mute over the development because his Vice allegedly was used to sponsoring terrorism.
The statement added, “NADECO wrote to numerous elements of the international community to state that the Religious Persecution and the Fulanisation policy of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and its disregard for the constitution was fueling secessionist agitations.”
“NADECO is troubled by the Christmas Day killing of over a hundred Christians in Plateau State is a testament that the religious persecution of the past administration of Buhari is being renewed by the Tinubu administration he and his vice president both being Muslims.
“Not too long ago, a report produced by the Christian charity, OPEN DOORS, announced that North Korea was the overall worst place to be a Christian but that Nigeria was the most DANGEROUS. According to the Pew Research Center, Nigeria, with more than 80 million Christians, has the largest Christian population on the African continent. The report went further to say that “there were more recorded killings of Christians due to their faith in northern Nigeria in 2015 than in the rest of the world put together”. The reasons for these deaths, according to the Charity, is “religious cleansing to eradicate Christianity”.
“The rise in attacks by Fulani militias has been widely documented. In attacks in Kaduna State, Fulani militias killed 31 Christians in two villages on 26 September, 2021 and abducted dozens of Christians from a worship service on 31 October of the same year. In Benue State, 1.5 million people, nearly a quarter of the local population, have been displaced by Fulani attacks.
“Nigeria has not gotten rid of religious persecution since Buhari administration and it is probably going to get worst in Tinubu administration because Mr. Tinubu’s vice president has been used to funding and supporting terrorism in the region.
“The slaughtering of Christians in Nigeria has quickly been swept under the carpet.”
