UK Parliamentarians Call on PM Starmer to Address Tinubu on Christian Killings During State Visit

A group of UK lawmakers is calling on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to address President Bola Tinubu regarding the ongoing killings of Christians in Nigeria during the Nigerian leader's state visit. This visit marks the first by a Nigerian president to the UK in nearly four decades.

President Tinubu and his wife, Oluremi, are scheduled to be hosted at Windsor Castle by the King and Queen for a state banquet on Wednesday. Following this, President Tinubu is expected to meet with Prime Minister Starmer at Downing Street on Thursday.

However, according to reports from the Daily Mail UK, Members of Parliament belonging to the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Freedom of Religion or Belief (APPG FoRB) have formally requested the Development Minister, Baroness Jenny Chapman, to urge the government to press President Tinubu on protecting human rights within Nigeria.

Nigeria is identified as one of the most perilous countries globally for Christians, largely due to persistent, coordinated assaults by extremist organizations like Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province.

The Daily Mail UK quotes Jim Shannon, a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP and the chairman of the APPG FoRB, who stated that Nigeria must implement "concrete steps to prevent the harassment, persecution and killing of Christians, while ensuring that perpetrators are investigated and prosecuted."

A collective of 209 MPs and peers have voiced their apprehension, suggesting that the Nigerian government has not given sufficient attention to these violent attacks.

The group has also demanded clarity on the case of Leah Sharibu, one of the schoolgirls abducted in 2018.

Furthermore, the APPG FoRB has implored Prime Minister Starmer to ensure that human rights considerations are central to all future diplomatic, security, and trade engagements with Nigeria.

They have requested a formal response from Baroness Chapman prior to the commencement of the state visit.

In a related development, the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, is reportedly set to engage with Mrs. Tinubu on human rights matters when she hosts the Nigerian First Lady at Lambeth Palace on Thursday. Notably, Mrs. Tinubu, who is a Christian pastor, will be attending a prayer service and is expected to preach, while her husband, the President, is Muslim.

Mrs. Tinubu is also slated to participate in a reception at Lambeth Palace, joining representatives from the Church of England and charitable organizations that have offered support in Nigeria, such as Christian Aid.