A United States, US Commission is proposing more and stiffer sanctions on Nigeria over continued vulnerability of Christian lives in the country.
This is even as it still designates Nigeria as a Country of particular Concern (CPC) in the wake of continued religious-inspired violence that claimed several lives.
“..Nonstate actors routinely seek to impose a singular interpretation of Islam on individuals and communities in their areas of operation, regardless of these individuals’ or communities’ own religion or belief”, observes The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)
“These actors include Jama’tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS, also known as Boko Haram), Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), and Islamic State-Sahel Province (ISSP)”, it states in its latest report.
Detailing a series of incidents that have traumatised religious communities in Nigeria in the recent, the commission stated that Federal and state governments continued to tolerate, inadequately respond to or investigate, or otherwise fail to pursue justice for religious violence by nonstate actors.
“The Nigerian federal government continued to enforce blasphemy laws that include a penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment for acts “persons consider as a public insult on their religion.”
“Several state governments also enforced more stringent blasphemy laws to prosecute and imprison individuals perceived to have insulted religion, including Christians, Muslims, and humanists.
“At least four prisoners remained in state custody on blasphemy charges at the end of the year”, the commission stated in the report.
The commission equally mentioned the case the states of Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, and Bauchi close all schools during Ramadan, including Christian institutions, but also anonymous threats to the life of Roman Catholic Bishop Wilfred Anagbe because he testified before the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee on the violence against Christians in Benue.
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As a way of checking these continued threat on Christians in Nigeria, the US commission is therefore recommending to the US government to, amongst others:
- Redesignate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, for engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, as defined by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA);
- Redesignate JAS/Boko Haram, ISWAP, and ISSP as “entities of particular concern,” or (entities of particular concern) EPCs, for engaging in systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, as defined by IRFA;
- Enact targeted sanctions, visa denials pursuant to 212(a)2(G) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and other penalties against Nigerian government and military officials who tolerate religiously motivated violence and/or violence against religious communities, or those who are complicit in attacks on these communities; and
- Enter into a binding agreement with the Nigerian government, under Section 405(c) of IRFA, to encourage substantial steps to address violations of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), including reporting on religious violence, returning displaced persons to their homes, and improving security and military training; and tie foreign assistance as well as bilateral policies on trade, arms purchases, and visa reciprocation to benchmarks on religious freedom improvement.
It equally asked the US Congress to direct the General Accountability (GAO) to monitor the efficiency of foreign assistance funds disbursed to protect FoRB in Nigeria; as well as support and highlight religious freedom challenges in Nigeria, including insecurity and atrocity risks, and pass bipartisan legislation holding accountable individuals and entities in Nigeria complicit in FoRB violations.
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