Sunday, 12th June 2020
Intersociety, Onitsha, Eastern Nigeria
Executive Summary: Threats to citizens’ rights to freedom of
worship and religion in Nigeria; the world’s first human right, have continued
unabated with hacking to death by the country’s Islamic Jihadists or radical
Islamists of no fewer than 1,202 defenseless Christians in first six months of
2020 covering January to June; involving Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen 812 Christian
deaths and Boko Haram/ISWAP and others 390 Christian deaths.
Boko Haram/ISWAP
had during the period killed over 600 persons and over 260 in the past 45 days
of 15th May to 30th June 2020; out of which, 300 of them
were strongly believed to be Christians. That is to say that between 1st
Jan and 14th May 2020 when we did our last update, not less than 200
Christians were hacked to death by Boko Haram/ISWAP; and out of over 260 killed
by the same Jihadist sect from 15th May to 30th June
2020, not less than 100 were strongly believed to be Christians.
Previous Statistics On Killings
By Nigeria’s Jihadists: Intersociety had in her last update of 14th May
2020 disclosed that “Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen accounted for at least 470 Christian
deaths out of total of 620 recorded from the start of January 2020 to 14th
May 2020 while Boko Haram and others accounted for 150”. Our organization also
reviewed the number of Christians hacked to death by Nigeria’s Jihadist groups
from July 2009 to date and disclosed that “32,000 Christian lives will have
been lost from July 2009 to end of Dec 2020; involving Jihadist Herdsmen 15,000
deaths (6,000 deaths: June 2009-Dec 2014 and 9,000 deaths: Jan 2015-Dec 2020)
and Boko Haram/ISWAP 16,800 deaths (11,400 deaths: July 2009-Dec 2014 and 5,400
deaths: Jan 2015-Dec 2020)”.
New Statistics On Jihadist
Herdsmen Killings: The
leading perpetrators in the latest round of anti Christian butcheries in
Nigeria are the Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen who accounted for no fewer than 812
deaths in six months and 258 deaths from 15th May to 30th
June 2020. No fewer than 90 Christian deaths, omitted in our last update of 14th
May 2020 have been added; mostly from Southern Kaduna with 80 additional deaths.
While the Adara Community, an area with predominant Christian population, lost
143 of the 2002 Christian deaths in first six months of 2020, the remaining
predominantly Christian communities in the State recorded a total of 56 deaths
including last week’s attack in Chibok Community, Zango-Kataf Local Government
Area killing six Christians. Three more Christian deaths were added, totaling
the 202 deaths from Southern Kaduna alone. The Adara Community which is located
in Kajuru Local Government Area had also in 2019 lost not less than 240 Christians
to Fulani Jihadists. The rest of the predominantly Christian communities in the
State lost not less than 80, totaling 320. These are according to statistics
obtained by Intersociety from the
leaderships of Southern Kaduna People’s Union-SOKAPU and Adara Dev Association
as well as other dependable sources.
Breakdown Of The Jihadist
Herdsmen Killings: Our
detailed statistics gathered across the country concerning the killing of
defenseless Christians by the State backed Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen in the past
six months of 2020 clearly indicated that Southern Kaduna topped the list with
202 deaths, involving 143 killed in Adara Community and over 56 killed in other
Christian communities in the State. Plateau State came second with 158 deaths,
Benue 142 deaths, Kogi and Adamawa 40 deaths each and Taraba, Niger and
Nasarawa 30 deaths each. Igbo Land including Igbo-Delta and Igbo-Benue recorded
at least 30 deaths, non Igbo-Delta 20 deaths, Edo 10 deaths and Southwest
particularly Ondo and Oyo 20 deaths.
When ‘dark
figures’ of 50 is added, it is most likely safe or correct to say that the
total number of Christian deaths in the past six months across Nigeria
perpetrated by the Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen alone is 812. Statistics concerning
the 258 Christian deaths in the hands of same Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen in 45
days of 15th May to 30th June 2020 further indicated that
Southern Kaduna lost 58 including six killed few days ago in Chibok,
Zango-Kataf, Benue lost 51, Nasarawa 30, Plateau 28, Adamawa 25, Taraba and
Niger 20 each, Kogi and Igbo Land 10 each and Southwest 6. The number did not
include at least 29 defenseless indigenous Tiv Christians massacred by the
Nigerian Army in different communities located in Donga, Takun and Wukari Local
Government Areas of Taraba State; which started on 29th June and
ended 30th day of the same June 2020.
Killings By Other Jihadist Groups: On killing of Christians perpetrated by
other Jihadist groups across Nigeria in the first six months of 2020, Boko
Haram/ISWAP accounted for 300 Christian deaths out of over 600 total deaths
while other jihadist groups such as Ansaru and “Bandits” accounted for over 50
Christian deaths. The no fewer than 50 deaths by the latter are likely to have
arisen mainly from those abducted and killed in their custodies. These could
have resulted from torture or resistance to sexual violence including custodial
rape; or inability or refusal to pay ransoms demanded; or refusal to be
forcefully converted to Islam; or deaths arising from gunshot wounds or
starvation at the point of their abductions.
This is more
so when it is credibly estimated that over 1000 defenseless Christian citizens
including travelers (Christian businessmen and women, clergymen, etc), rural
Christian women and young girls must have been abducted across Nigeria by the
country’s Jihadists in the past six months of 2020. Most, if not all the
abductees are left or abandoned to their fate by the country’s security
agencies; to ‘buy their freedom’ if abducted for ransom; or accept the
conditions forced on them by their abductors including forced conversion to
Islam or risked being killed in custody. Thousands of defenseless Christians
who survived being hacked to death have also been injured and left in mutilated
conditions with several of them crippled for life. Hundreds of Christian
worship and learning centers have been destroyed or burnt; likewise thousands
of dwelling houses, farmlands and other properties belonging to Christians.
Group Accountability For The
1,202 Christian Deaths: With the
above additions captured, the 812 Christian deaths recorded from Jan to June
were perpetrated by Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen (comprising indigenous and
‘imported’ Fulani and Shuwa Arab Jihadists); Jihadist Boko Haram/ISWAP 300
Christian deaths and 50 Christian deaths from the “Jihadist Bandits” and Ansaru
Jihadists (mainly arising from abductions and associated deaths in custody).
The Nigerian Army also accounted for no fewer than 30 indigenous Christian
deaths including over 25 killed on June 29 in Taraba State. This is according to Tiv Youth Forum in
their press conference addressed on Sat, 4th July 2020.
The
leadership of Tiv Cultural and Social Association had earlier accused soldiers
of killing a family of four during their raid on same 29th June
2020, which ended 30th June. The military raids took place in some
predominantly Christian communities in Wukari, Takun and Donga Local Government
Areas of the State; killing no fewer than 25 indigenous Tiv Christians and
another family of four. The Nigerian Military, after the dastardly act,
hurriedly organized a press conference at Defense Headquarters in Abuja,
labeling the slain as “bandits” and “criminals”, “killed in exchange of gunfire
with soldiers”. The Tiv leaders had also during their own press conference
accused soldiers of ‘raping their wives and daughters during the operation”.
Till date, the perpetrators of the heinous crimes have remained untracked and
no credible investigation has been ordered.
End of the Executive Summary
Other Details…
Pattern Of Killings By The
Jihadist Groups: While 100%
of victims of Jihadist Herdsmen killings are Christians, it is symmetrically 60%/40%
or 50%/50% for Christians and Muslims killed in recent times by Jihadist Boko
Haram/ISWAP. This is unlike in 2009 to 2017 when it was 80% Christian victims
and 20% Muslim victims. In other words, Jihadist Herdsmen target and kill
Christians only or burn or destroy their properties including dwelling houses,
farmlands and worship and learning centers. On the other hand, Boko Haram/ISWAP
Jihadists presently kill both Christians and Muslims (those tagged
‘unbelievers’ or ‘traitors’ or ‘conspirators’ or those killed collaterally).
Boko Haram/ISWAP was strictly transformed for purpose of wiping out all
Christians in Nigeria and “their western culture” and instituting Islamic
Sultanate Government governed by Sharia laws.
Ansaru
Jihadists, on their part, strictly kill Christians including abducted
foreigners while asymmetric Muslim deaths in their hands are seen as accidental
occurring under exceptional situations. Jihadist ‘Bandits’ also target and kill
Christians and ‘Hausa-Muslims’ (a sort of intra faith jihadism of the Fulani
Jihadists of early 1800s in Northern Nigeria). Though pretended to be “economic
militants’, the Northern “Bandits” share a lot in common with four other Jihadist
Groups: banditry and interfaith jihadism using sexual violence, abduction,
killing and property violence and state complicity and protection.
Herdsmen Jihadism Now Beyond
Middle Belt: It was also
our finding that the jihadist attacks or violence by Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen
and Shuwa Arabs, perpetrated under state cover and protection, have rapidly
spread beyond the country’s North-Central or old Middle Belt Region (Plateau, Benue,
Nasarawa and Kogi). The attacks have also long been targeted for purpose of
uprooting and devastating all the Christian settlements in Northern Nigeria and
beyond including Southern Kaduna (now in Northwest Region) and Taraba and
Adamawa (now in Northeast Region).
Owing to
complicity and failure of the Nigerian Government, the Fulani Jihadists and
their attacks have further spread to Niger State in North-Central Region
(Gbagyi, Kamuku, Ungwai and Bassa which are predominantly Christian communities
in Munya, Rafi and Shiroro Local Government Areas) as well as Southeast Region
(all its five States), South-south Region particularly Delta and Edo and Southwest
Region particularly Ondo and Oyo. All the areas under Jihadist Herdsmen attacks
are Christian communities, as till date, there are no pieces of evidence
anywhere showing killing of Muslims and taking over of their lands, farmlands
and houses or destruction or burning of Mosques by the Jihadist Herdsmen.
Faking Communal Clashes In Furtherance Of
Attacks Against Christians
The Jihadist
Fulani Herdsmen, their wealthy backers and Government protectors are strongly
believed to have introduced new strategies in their bids to wipe out Christians
in Northern Nigeria and take over or destroy their lands and other properties
including worship or learning centers. These they intended by further arming
and sponsoring smaller villages or communities with dominant Muslim populations
sharing boundaries with Christian settlements to launch unprovoked attacks
against them so as to make such attacks look like ‘communal clashes’.
For
instance, a largely Muslim tribe from Gombe State (the Waja is a tribe that are
largely Muslims) which shares boundaries with Christian Communities of Mbemun
and Bushkiri in Lamurde and Guyuk Local Government Areas of Adamawa State is
one of such armed and sponsored communities that on 9th June 2020
attacked the two named Christian communities. In the end, over 23 Christian
lives were lost and several houses and other properties belonging to them
destroyed. Some of the recent killing of Christians in Plateau, Taraba, Adamawa
and Benue States also fall into this category.
Dozens Of Benue-Igbo Christians
Have Been Hacked To Death
Among
hundreds of defenseless Christians slaughtered by Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen in
Benue are dozens of ancestral Igbo natives in Benue State. Also most of the
ancestral Igbo communities or communities of Igbo roots in Benue and Kogi
States are occupied by or are under the occupation of Jihadist Herdsmen
(comprising indigenous and ‘imported’ Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen and Shuwa
Arabs). Statistically speaking, by the account of the Citizen Reports, July 1,
2020, the Senate on Thursday urged the
Nigeria Police and other relevant security agencies in the country to carry out
a comprehensive investigation into attacks by herdsmen on Echori and Itakpa
communities in Benue state, with a view to arresting the perpetrators. The call
by the upper chamber was contained in resolutions reached sequel to the
consideration of a motion to that effect on the need for legislative
intervention.
Sponsor of the motion, Senator
Patrick Abba Moro (PDP – Benue South), noted with concern the recent twin
attacks of suspected Fulani herdsmen on two communities of Echori and Itakpa of
Obi Local Government Area of Benue South Senatorial District of Benue State on
the 10th of May, 2020 and 1st June, 2020 respectively. According to him, a
total of eleven persons were killed during the attacks on both communities. The
lawmaker disclosed the names of the eleven persons killed to include: Innocent Joseph; Tony Ogbu Alapa; Christian
Abe Igo; Sunday Atubu; Stephen Okwute; Okwu Joseph; Ogochukwu Imuila Ogbu; and
Friday Adekpe Ola. Others are: Cecilia Onah; Onah Ogaga; Aka-Orisha (Akachukwu);
Linus Udor; Sunday Okarike and Enokela Ameh.
Increase In Abduction Of Women
& Young Girls: Apart from
the fact that many of the 1,202 defenseless Christians hacked to death since
the start of January 2020 are women and children and other persons of
vulnerable identities, there is a rapid increase in the number of young girls
and women of non-menopausal age brackets being abducted by the Jihadists across
the country including Igbo Land. In other words, Nigeria’s genocidal and
atrocious Jihadists including Jihadist Herdsmen and Boko Haram/ISWAP have
rapidly increased their rate of abduction of the referenced females, both
legally married and unmarried. Such abducted women hardly return when abducted.
They are
mostly used in their captors’ custodies as ‘sex slaves’ and ‘makers of jihadist
children’, from where they are forcefully married off and converted to Islam or
get killed in custody if they resisted the conditions imposed. Credible
evidence abounds showing the helplessness of the parents and husbands of such
abductees. In Igbo Land including Igbo parts of Benue, Kogi and Delta and the
five States of the Southeast where it is estimated that not less than 100 young
girls and married and unmarried women of non-menopausal age brackets have been
abducted between the start of January 2019 and June 2020, parents and husbands
of the abductees are fearfully forced into “silence of the graveyard” for ‘fear
of being killed’ or “have their entire families wiped out” by Jihadist Fulani
Herdsmen who perpetrate the atrocity with reckless abandon. These are usual
responses of those in positions of authority and clergymen or church leaders
complained to by the parents and husbands of the victims.
Statistics On Abduction Of Young
Girls & Women: Apart from
not less than 100 women and girls abducted in the past 18 months by Jihadist
Fulani Herdsmen in the named areas in Igbo Land, the Church of Brethren in
Nigeria (EYN) has also lost more than 36 persons mostly married and unmarried
young women and girls to Boko Haram abductions in the past six months of 2020. Abduction
of young women and girls of Igbo Christian extraction in Igbo Land particularly
those farming in their farmlands or going to same has become a routine in
recent months.
As reported
by Vanguard Newspaper of 24th April 2020, a 20-year-old Mrs. Chioma
Iwolo was abducted by Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen who violently stormed the
premises of Austin Farms in Anambra West Local Government Area and abducted the
young woman. Her mother, Madam Iwolo, after waiting for her return to no avail,
cried out to the media. Till now, her daughter has remained at large. As reported also by same Vanguard Newspaper of
1st July 2020, a 22-year-old Miss Agnes Okekpe from Abakaliki (Izzi)
local government area of Ebonyi State who was contracted to work in a farm by
an Ebenebe native in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State recently
died from injuries inflicted on her by Jihadist Herdsmen when she was abducted
last year (2019) from the farm and brutally raped. She recently died from
injuries sustained from her Jihadist rapists. These are just to mention but a
few.
Abduction Of Christian Girls By
BH Using Commercial Motorists In Northeast
Boko Haram Jihadists have devised
new methods of abducting Christian girls in Yobe, Borno, Taraba and Adamawa
States; using commercial motorists. They are using the Muslim commercial
drivers to take Christian girls and women from Gashua to Damaturu; Damaturu to
Biu and from Damaturu to Borno, etc. I spent over one week investigating this,
in the end, I discovered that dozens of Christian girls and women have been
taken without knowing where they are being taken to. I met with one of my
friends, a Fulani who also corroborated my findings: that from Motor Park, when
they carry any Christian girl or Christian girls or women they will not tell them
the routes they are going to follow to reach their intended destinations.
Now you can't follow directly
from Damaturu to Gashua because BH has taken over Babangida and Dapchi route
which is the regular way. But the safer way is to follow from Potiskum then
proceed to Gashua, but the BH hired commercial Muslim drivers will not tell
them that they are going to follow the bad or Boko Haram occupied road until
after the Christian girls and women have entered the car; with the car already
on the road, and usually women are seated at the back seats of the vehicle,
with the men at the middle seats. Then the next thing is for Boko Haram hired
Muslim drivers to follow the road to Babangida which is the dangerous road for
Christians and even if you shout nobody will help you, until they reach where
the BH will take forceful delivery of the Christian girls or women.
Once the hired drivers get to the
spots of the Boko Haram Jihadists, the next thing is for the Jihadists to ask
them: “is there any infidel (Christian girl or woman) in the car?” Then they will just handover them to BH. The
Fulani guy told me that in his presence they took Christian girls from the car.
The girls were shouting as they were being taken towards the unsafe road but nobody
cared. They do no harm to Muslim women and girls and once they are identified,
they will be taken back to where they were brought from. On the other hand, about
ten churches have been taken over by BH in our area (Yobe). In Babangida area,
we used to have five churches, three at Dapchi, one at Sudande and two in
Gujuba. These churches included four ECWA, three Living Faith churches, two
Deeper Life churches, one Catholic Church and one Good News International
church. All have been closed because of
Boko Haram Jihadists. Source: Rev Dr. Ahaz Yaye: July 2020.
Shocking Statistics: 8,370 EYN
Members Killed By BH Since 2009: EYN--Ekklesiyar
Yan’uwa a Nigeria (Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) was established at
Garkida, Adamawa State, by the Brethren Christian missionaries from the United
States of America on March, 17, 1923. The church is presently estimated to have
population of 1.5 million communicant members and it is the single Christian
denomination that is worst hit by the activities of the Boko Haram. Over
700,000 members have been displaced with only seven out of its 60 District
Church Councils not directly affected by the insurgency. EYN has lost over
8,370 members and 8 pastors, with the numbers increasing on a daily basis. Many
of her members have been abducted, with 217 out of the abducted 276 Chibok
school girls belonging to EYN. Over 300 of the 586 churches of EYN have been
either burnt or destroyed, with uncountable numbers of houses belonging to its
members looted or burnt. These were disclosed in a world press conference
addressed on 2nd July 2020 in Yola, Adamawa State by President of
the EYN, Rev Joel Billi.
Renewed
Jihadism Sweeping & Uprooting Christian Parts Of Africa
As never recorded in recent times, Islamic Jihadism is now ravaging
the Christian West, East, Central and Southern Africa. It looks like a regional
project with powerful sponsorship and state protection where jihadist elements
are in charge of political and military powers. Today in Congo DRC, a country
with largest Catholics in Africa, there is ongoing jihad. In Central African
Republic, a country with dominant Christian population, jihadists are
substantially in charge. Similar situations are found in Burkina Faso, Angola,
Mozambique, Congo Republic and Togo; to mention but a few. Like in Libya in
1969 and Sudan in 1989, the jihadists are penetrating and gaining grounds,
aiming at capturing state power and changing the socio-legal secular status quo
to brutal Sultanate and Shariah regimes; putting Christians and other faith
members and their democratic and pacifism cultures at high risk.
Nigeria’s
Jihadist Groups Expanding & Building Alliances
Nigeria is
internationally known to host four major Jihadist groups, namely: Jihadist Boko
Haram, Jihadist ISWAP, Jihadist Ansaru, Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen and Jihadist
“Bandits”. But presently, their numbers have swollen and increased with rapid
speed. The Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen have expanded to include: Jihadist
‘indigenous’ Fulani Herdsmen, Jihadist ‘foreign’ Fulani Herdsmen and ‘Jihadist
Shuwa Arabs. Jihadist Boko Haram terrorists have also expanded to include:
Shekau’s faction or Jama’atu Ahlussunnah Lidda’awati Wal Jihad, ISIL-controlled
faction of same Boko Haram, Asaru (movement for protection of Muslims in black
Africa) and ISWAP (Islamic Movement in West Africa Province).
Jihadist
‘Zamfara Bandits’, on their part, have expanded into various autonomous groups
operating in Zamfara, Kaduna, Sokoto, Katsina, Niger State, etc; targeting
indigenous and traveler Christians (inter faith jihadism) and indigenous Hausa
Muslim population (intra faith jihadism). All these jihadist groups in Nigeria,
now numbering not less than 20 are controlled by indigenous and foreign Fulani,
imported Shuwa Arabs and indigenous Kanuri; with some foot soldiers drawn from
youths who grew up from the abandoned Northern street children or ‘Alamajirai’.
Among them, too, the Jihadist Herdsmen are heavily protected by the present
central Government and its security forces and treated as ‘untouchables’.
The present
central Government itself and its security forces is brutally asymmetrically
structured, with some say, ‘90% Muslim controlled’. This has further emboldened
the Jihadists and aided deterioration of jihadist violence and terrorism in
Nigeria, to the extent that apart from the Jihadist groups growing rapidly,
they have also gone into formidable alliances. This was made public on 15th
June 2020 by Boko Haram through a video first released on the night of Monday,
June 15, 2020, wooing armed groups in the North West and North Central. The 13
minutes 49 seconds video, exclusively obtained by HumAngle, shows four speakers
addressing viewers in English, Hausa, Fulfulde and French, appealing to people
in Zamfara and Niger States to strive harder in the cause of Allah
Freedom Of Worship & Religion
Gravely Undermined In Nigeria: Right to
freedom of worship and religion is fully guaranteed in Nigeria by Sections 10
(prohibition of adoption of any religion as a state religion) and 38 (right to
freedom of religion, conscience and thought including freedom of any citizen to
voluntarily change his or her religion) of the Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria 1999. Same rights are also guaranteed by the country’s
Treaty Laws & Protocols including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
of 1948, the Int’l Covenant on Civil & Political Rights of 1976 and the
Int’l Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 1976; all ratified by
Nigeria in 1993.
The most
important of the country’s Treaty Laws and Protocols guaranteeing religious
freedoms including right to freedom of worship is the African Charter on Human
& Peoples Rights of 1981 (ratified and domesticated by Nigeria in 1983).
The right to freedom of religion and worship as the world’s first human right
was first proclaimed through ‘the Edit of Milan in 313 AD’. Sadly, these
inalienable rights have been brutally undermined and observed in grave breach
in Nigeria.
We Have Credible Evidence Linking
Christian Fanatics To Property Violence Against Traditionalists
Credible
evidence abounds exposing series of property violence by Christian fanatics
(clergymen and their followers from Catholic, Anglican and Pentecostal Churches
and their offshoot ‘Ministries’ including “Catholic Adoration Ministries” and
“Charismatic Renewals”) against traditional religionists in Nigeria particularly
in Igbo Land. Such property violence includes attacks on traditionalists’
sacred places of worship and destruction of their religious symbols. Such
unlawful acts are very common among ‘faith profiteers’ and ‘born again “crusaders”
or fanatics. Their property violence against traditional worshippers has led to
destruction, or burning, or carting away of tens of thousands of traditional
religious symbols and takeover and possession of thousands of their lands and
sacred places of worship.
It must be
strongly pointed out that Intersociety is strongly opposed to all forms of
religious violence including atrocities against members of any religion and
their properties and symbols. No member of any religion is permitted by local
and international laws to engage in crimes against persons and crimes against
properties in the name of propagating or professing any religion. That is to say that Christians as today’s
victims of Islamic Jihadists’ persecution in Nigeria or any part thereof must
at all times refrain from toeing same or similar path by persecuting
traditional religionists or undermining the sacred traditional institutions.
Governments and law enforcement agencies are created and put in place to
checkmate religious practitioners who operate outside the confines of the
written local and international laws. In law, too, it must be reminded that
‘sins’ and ‘crimes’ are not the same and any religious practitioner who
“punishes” another for self-interpreted “sinful act” is committing a crime
against the state.
Thanking President Donald Trump & The
UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group
Int’l Society for Civil Liberties
& Rule of Law is
sincerely thanking President Donald Trump and the good people of
the United States concerning the 2nd June 2020 Executive Order made
by the President for the Advancement of International Religious Freedoms.
Commendable, too, was the joining of the United States by 26 other global
countries in a new International Religious Freedom Alliance, back in February
2020, for purpose of reducing religious persecution across the globe
particularly in Nigeria. Our thanks also go to Hon Jim Shannon (MP) –led All-Party
Parliamentary Group for Int’l Freedom of Religion or Belief of the UK’s House
of Commons concerning their special report: Nigeria: Unfolding Genocide? (June 15, 2020). We thank them for
standing for the persecuted Christians in Nigeria and their courageous resolve
to continuously push globally for the advancement of religious freedoms
including freedom of worship in Nigeria or any part thereof.
Thanking Leaders Of SOKAPU,
Adara, Middle Belt And Plateau Forums & EYN Church
Our special
thanks also go to the Jonathan Asake led Southern Kaduna People’s Union, the
Awema Dio Maisamari led Adara Dev Association, the Pogu Bitrus led Middle Belt
Forum, the Goodman Dahida led Tiv Cultural & Social Association in Taraba
State, the Rev Joel Billi led Church of Brethren in Nigeria (EYN) and leaders
of various Plateau indigenous Christian communities for boldly speaking out
concerning the ordeal facing their fellow Christian populations in Northern
Nigeria. They are called upon not to rest on their oars until the calamitous
atrocities are frontally addressed and ended.
Christian Post, Jihad Watch,
Genocide Watch, Morning Star & Others Commended
We remain
grateful to Christian Post Int’l in particular for their tireless efforts at
ending the persecution of Christians and ensuring respect for religious
freedoms around the world particularly in Nigeria through its professional and
consistent monitoring and reports. Similar efforts by other international news
media and organizations campaigning for persecuted Christians around the world
particularly in Nigeria are highly commendable.
Some of them
worthy of mention and commendation include the Genocide Watch, the Jihad Watch, the Christian
Today, the Christian Persecution, the Catholic News Agency, the ACI-Africa, the
Premier Christian News, the Anglican Mainstream News, the European Post, the
Christian News Now, the Believers’ Portal, the Christian Solidarity Worldwide;
to name but few. The Nigerian media is
also commended particularly the Sun Newspaper, the Voice, the News Express, the
Daily Post, the This Day, the Elomba Reports, the News Critic, the Global
Sentinel, the Trent, the Odogwu Reports, the Sundiata Post, the Legit, the
Opera News, the NairaLand, the Guardian, the Authority, the Point Blank News,
the Independent Newspaper and thousands of social media platforms, as well as
all our followers, allies, partners, supporters, the EkweNche Research
Institute, the AlaIgbo Dev Foundation, friends and well wishers. These are in
addition to those not remembered.
Note: Attached below is a separate file containing ‘Statistical Sources’ of this research
report and photos of protesting
under-age children orphaned by Jihadist Herdsmen killings in Benue State,
North-Central Nigeria. The photos were taken during the 27th May
2020 World’s Children’s Day.
End
Researched By:
Emeka Umeagbalasi
Criminologist & Graduate of
Security Studies
Master of Science, Peace Studies
& Conflict Resolution
Signed:
For: Int’l Society for Civil
Liberties & Rule of Law
Emeka Umeagbalasi, Board Chair,
Barr Damaris Amaka Onuoha, Co-researcher and Head, Campaign & Publicity;
Barr Ndidiamaka Bernard, Co-researcher
and Head, Int’l Justice & Human Rights; Barr Obianuju Joy Igboeli,
Co-researcher and Head, Civil Liberties & Rule of Law; Barr Chinwe Umeche, Co-researcher and Head,
Democracy & Good Governance; and Comrade Samuel Kamanyaoku, Co-researcher
and Head, Field Data Collection & Documentation Department
Contacts:
Mobile/WhatsApp: +2348174090052
Email: info@intersociety-ng.org
Website: intersociety-ng.org
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