TOPIC: GENOCIDE IN NIGERIA: IS THERE HOPE OF JUSTICE FOR THE VICTIMS?
Sunday 20th September 2020
PREAMBLE
In furtherance of its advocacy for persecuted Christians in Nigeria, Christian Social Movement of Nigeria (CSMN), conducted another edition of its “conversation of conscience” tagged VOICE OF THE PERSECUTED on Sunday 20th September 2020. In the second edition, the meeting focused on securing justice for the victims of the insurgency.
Speakers at the Conference are:
Barrister Sunday Akanni – President, Advocates Africa (Coalition of Christian Lawyers in Africa)
Barrister Gregory Lar – Head, Directorate of Legal Intervention, Christian Social Movement of Nigeria
RESOLUTIONS
The meeting agreed on the following resolutions as action points to be considered and implemented by Nigerian Christians:
1. That the discriminatory practice of Government in paying compensation and rendering assistance to Muslim victims of the insurgency while neglecting Christian victims, who in most cases are the direct targets of the attacks, is condemnable and should be discontinued in the interest of fairness, justice and equality.
2. That the situation in Nigeria qualifies to be called genocide as UN has defined genocide as any mass killing of people, exceeding 30 - 40 in number, based on race, ethnicity or religion.
3. That the Report of the Commission of Inquiry on genocide in a Christian community, Dogo Nahawa, Jos, in 2010 during which over 500 people were killed should be released.
4. That genocide in Nigeria is fueled by the jihad launched by Muslims in northern Nigeria in the attempt to foist an Islamic Theocratic State upon the country.
5. That lack of funding for legal process hinders many Christian victims from defending their rights in courts.
6. That Christians have permitted a deplorable situation in which Lawyers who are interested in defending the human rights of persecuted Christians oftentimes must work pro bono. This has discouraged many Christian lawyers from taking up cases of defending the rights of persecuted Christians in Nigeria.
7. That the initiative of Christian Social Movement of Nigeria to launch a Christian Trust Fund should be commended and Nigerian Christians should individually contribute N500 monthly to the Lay Faithful Trust Fund to make funding available to defend the human rights of persecuted Christians.
8. That most Christian IDPs feel abandoned by their Christian brethren.
9. That legal intervention to defend the human rights of persecuted Christians should be increased as right to life in Nigeria is abused and in some areas in the country, it does not exist.
10. That there is urgent need for funding to defend the human rights of Christians, particularly in the northern parts of the country therefore, every Christian should participate in mobilization and sensitization to encourage massive Christian contribution into the Trust Fund.
Bosun Emmanuel
Executive Secretary
Christian Social Movement of Nigeria
27th September 2020