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The Hill
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump must not ignore Nigeria's humanitarian crisis
Christians in Nigeria are becoming modern-day martyrs. People of faith must raise our voices to respond to their plight. I read the account of the horrific terror attack on June 13, where over 200 Christians were slaughtered in Yewalta, Nigeria, while I was taking a break at the local pool with my youngest son. According to one report, 'the corpse of a boy, around 6 or 7 years old, lay flat on his back, his eyes wide open, his shirt covered in blood. His killer had left a giant gash across his face and head. His left hand was hanging loose at the joint; his right hand was severed completely.' My son is not that much older than the boy described in the photograph. I was shaken to my core. I'm unsure whether the mother of the young martyr escaped the attackers. If she is among the few survivors, she will need to draw deeply on her faith in order to believe in a loving God in heaven caring for the son she had lost. Yewalta is just one recent example of the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. Sixty-eight Christians were murdered in Fulani raids two weeks earlier. One of the attacks was on the hometown of Catholic Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of Makurdi, who had recently testified before the U.S. Congress about atrocities in his diocese. Over 170 Christians in Nigeria's Middle Belt were killed earlier this year during Lent and Holy Week. Last week, three young Catholic seminarians were kidnapped at gunpoint in their seminary, more evidence of the growing targeted assaults on priests and seminarians. Open Doors, the Christian relief agency, includes Nigeria among the worst affected countries in its World Watch List, reporting that in 2024 over 3,000 Christians were killed there and more than 2,000 were kidnapped. Also, staggeringly large numbers of Christians in Nigeria have been driven from their homes by violence and conflict and are now live in displacement camps. Pope Leo XIV, who visited Nigeria several times as Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine, prayed for the victims of the 'terrible massacre' in Yewalta the following Sunday during his Sunday Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square. The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops similarly called for prayers for 'our brothers and sisters in Nigeria who are suffering violent religious conflict' during Religious Freedom Week celebrated last month. Christian relief organizations are responding to the grave humanitarian crisis that is unfolding. World leaders must follow suit. Having vowed to rid anti-Christian bias from the U.S. federal government, President Trump and his administration are perfectly poised to take the lead. The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, empowers the president to annually review the status of religious freedom in every country in the world and designate each country the government of which has engaged in or tolerated 'particularly severe violations of religious freedom' as 'countries of particular concern.' This determination has been delegated by the president to the secretary of State. While Nigeria was last listed as a country of particular concern for its affronts to religious freedom in 2020, it was bizarrely dropped from the list by the Biden administration in 2021. Biden's State Department blamed climate change for the increasingly violent attacks against Christians by militants among the Fulani Muslim nomadic herders. Congress should take action on the proposed resolution issued back in March by Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa chair, calling for Nigeria to be designated and sanctioned as a country of particular concern. In the aftermath of the Yewalta massacre, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent, bipartisan commission that monitors the universal right to freedom of religion or belief abroad, similarly renewed its call for the Department of State to designate Nigeria a country of particular concern, citing its 'systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations.' Speeding up the confirmation of former-Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.) as President Trump's ambassador at large for International Religious Freedom will help Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a long-time advocate for international religious freedom, guarantee that diplomatic relations with Nigeria are better informed by reality. Terror-stricken Nigerian Christians deserve our attention and more. Given the uptick in numbers and the increasing barbarism of recent killings, I fear that that a mere designation is not enough. Maybe there is a better label for what's happening to Christians in Nigeria: genocide. Genocide has been declared in at least six other situations: Bosnia (1993); Rwanda (1994); Iraq (1995); Darfur (2004); against Yazidis, Christians and Muslims in areas of the Middle East under the control of the Islamic State (2016 and 2017); against the Uyghur in the Xinjiang region of China (2021); and Sudan (2025). More recent declarations include instances where non-state actors targeted victims because of their religious identity — which is what is happening in Nigeria. Although there are no specific or immediate required consequences that follow a declaration of genocide, it does carry moral weight. An acknowledgment that the violence against Christians in Nigeria has reached the level of genocide could inspire a global response of humanitarian aid, economic sanctions, diplomatic isolation and even intervention by the UN Security Council, not to mention action by the International Criminal Court to prosecute individuals and regimes responsible. The awful, inescapable truth is that in Nigeria, Christians are being relentlessly persecuted, kidnapped, tortured and killed for their faith. They have confidence in what Jesus promised in His Sermon on the Mount to those who are persecuted on account of their faith — 'your reward will be great in heaven.' If we remain silent to their plight, I shudder to think of what we merit.
Gulf Today
16-07-2025
- Gulf Today
Nigerian troops kill 150 'bandits' in ambush, air strikes
Nigerian soldiers killed at least 150 members of a criminal gang in an ambush in northwestern Kebbi state this week, a local official said Thursday. For years, heavily armed kidnapping gangs known as "bandits" have been intensifying attacks in the northwest and central areas of the west African country with impunity, killing thousands and abducting people for ransom. Troops laid ambush on a massive convoy of bandits as they rode through villages in Kebbi state's Danko-Wasagu district on Wednesday, leading to a two-hour gunfight, said Husaini Bena, the political administrator of Danko-Wasagu. The heavily armed bandits, riding on around 350 motorcycles, were heading to their base in neighbouring Niger state when they were ambushed by the troops, Bena said. "More than 150 bandits were killed in the military operation which involved ground troops and fighter jets," he said. The military forced the bandits to retreat, but jets "bombed them as they fled", he added. Nigeria's air force has come under scrutiny in the past for bombing civilians in its campaigns against bandits and jihadists, as the country slogs through conflicts across multiple fronts. A Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) military escort accompanying an excavator digging trenches passes through a checkpoint at the entrance to Monguno, Borno state, Nigeria. AFP AbdulRahman Zagga, director of security in the Kebbi state governor's office, confirmed the incident in a statement. He said troops fought around 400 bandits, "resulting in the elimination of many" of them, without giving a toll. Both sides trade losses Zagga said that bandits were suspected to be the same group that recently attacked a military base in Niger state, killing 20 soldiers. Troops continued to comb the countryside on Thursday. Nigeria's banditry crisis has evolved from clashes between Fulani herders and farmers over resources into a broader conflict fuelled by arms trafficking, with gangs taking advantage of security vacuums in rural swaths of Nigeria that have long had little formal state presence. The gangs launch attacks from their camps in a vast forest which straddles several northwestern and central states. Security analysts have noted increasing cooperation between the criminal gangs, who are motivated primarily by financial gains in the impoverished country, and jihadists, who are waging a 16-year-old insurrection in the northeast. As the insurgent campaign by Boko Haram and rival Daesh West Africa Province drags on, the Nigerian military said Thursday it killed 24 jihadists in northeastern Borno state following days-long military operations. But gains against bandits and jihadists are repeatedly offset by the killing of troops and civilians. Last month, authorities in Zamfara state in the northwest said a government-supported militia killed 100 bandits in a raid on their stronghold. On Wednesday, Katsina state authorities claimed at least 30 bandits were killed in air strikes. But over the weekend, bandits killed more than 40 vigilantes who had mobilised to fight them, in an ambush in central Plateau state. Agence France-Presse
BBC News
16-07-2025
- BBC News
'We dey bury pipo almost everiday now' - man tok afta 27 pipo die fresh attack for Plateau state
Pipo dey live in fear and panic afta one fresh attack wey suspected gunmen carry out kill 27 pipo. Tori be say most of di victims na women and children, for one early morning attack wey happun on Tuesday for Bindi (Jebu) village, Tahoss community, Riyom Local Goment Area of Plateau State northern Nigeria. Plenty oda pipo wound for di attack. National Chairman of Berom Youth Moulders-Association, Solomon Dalyop Mwantiri, yarn give BBC News Pidgin say di incident wey happun don bring back serious worry about how safe rural communities dey for di state. "Around 5pm (WAT) on Monday, our pipo see suspicious movement of some suspected armed Fulani from one settlement wey dem dey call Bangai Fulani for the district. I sharply call di sector commander say na di distress call I receive. "I call back again, dem tell me say dem don already see di suspected Fulani and say military don already take over di area." E add say di attack wey kill 27 pipo including women and children happun on Tuesday. "Around 3am, hundreds of dem enta di whole area. Di vigilante pipo try resist dem, and military position demselves for two different places. Di attack lead to the death of 27 pipo, odas don bin wunjur, and also dem burn some houses." E still tok say up till now, pipo still dey live for fear, and dat one don make dem no fit even do mass burial for di pipo wey die. Mwantiri beg both state and federal goment make dem investigate how security pipo no fit stop di attack even though dem know say security threat dey for di area before di attack. Di Chairman of Riyom Local Gment Area of Plateau State still confam di attack, say e happun wen pipo dey sleep. E tell BBC Hausa say plenty pipo don turn homeless sake of di recent attack. "Di villagers begin dey see torchlights for night, den pipo begin shout. Dem tell security say sometin wan happun. We neva identify all di pipo wey wound finish," e tok. E still add say "Now everiday dem dey bury pipo, and everi wia pipo dey turn internally displaced persons sake of attacks. For now dem dey get help from goment and some NGOs wey dey give dem food, clothes and oda relief items." The local goment chairman beg pipo make dem calm down and no take law for dia hand. "We dey always tok with Fulani and oda tribes as part of di way to find peace. We go still try make dem send more security pipo come di area." Wen BBC News Pidgin contact Plateau State Police Command tok-tok persin, DSP Alfred Alabo, e say dem still dey gada information and dem go release press statement.
Herald Malaysia
16-07-2025
- Herald Malaysia
Attackers demand ransom for kidnapped Nigerian seminarians
Armed criminals who attacked a seminary in Nigeria have contacted the Diocese of Auchi to demand ransom for three seminarians kidnapped during the raid. Jul 16, 2025 Bishop Dunia of Auchi celebrates Mass (archive photo courtesy of the Diocese of Auchi) By Christopher WellsThe Diocese of Auchi in southern Nigeria says the kidnappers who are holding three seminarians have made contact and demanded ransom for the students' safe return. The seminarians, ages 14-17, were taken by gunmen during an attack on the Immaculate Conception minor seminary in Ivhianokpodi, Nigeria, on Thursday, 10 July. A security guard, Christopher Aweneghieme, a member of the Civil Defense Corps assigned to the school, was killed during the attack. The Bishop of Auchi, Gabriel Dunia, told the Vatican's Fides news agency, 'The seminarians are still in the hands of their kidnappers,' who have been in contact with the diocese. 'Negotiations are currently ongoing,' he said. Bishop Dunia provided further details in a statement provided to the Catholic aid agency Aid to the Church in Need, saying the attackers are believed to be members of the Fulani ethnic group from northern Nigeria. 'They came in large numbers, and it was impossible to stop them,' the Bishop said. 'We don't know what they want, but we see a growing pattern of attacks directed against Christian communities and institutions.' Bishop Dunia told ACN that the remaining seminarians had been moved to safer locations, where they are completing their end-of-the-year examinations. The students are not expected to return until security measures have been strengthened and a security fence is placed around the school. Appeal for assistance In his statement to ACN, the Bishop said the Church has appealed to Nigerian authorities for assistance. 'We are asking the civilian government to come to the site,' he said. However, despite assurance from the government, 'we haven't seen any concrete action so far.' He went on to appeal to 'everyone, every person, to come to our aid: to pray for us, to make any effort, whatever it may be—material, spiritual, or human—that helps us contain insecurity,' adding, 'Our local efforts are being overwhelmed.' The Immaculate Conception seminary provides initial priestly formation to over 500 students. Last week's attack was the second in less than a year: in October, gunmen stormed the chapel and kidnapped the rector, Father Thomas Oyode, who offered himself as a hostage in place of the seminarians. He was released after eleven days in captivity.--Vatican News
LeMonde
14-07-2025
- General
- LeMonde
Harouna Sow, chef: 'Where I come from, men don't cook. It was a revelation for me'
When people talk about couscous, they usually think it's a dish eaten only in North African countries. Yet in some West African communities, like the Soninke or the Fulani, which is my culture, we eat couscous every night. It's made of a very fine steamed millet, corn, or sorghum grain. It can be served with a meat-, smoked fish- or dried seafood-based sauce, with vegetables, topped with ground peanuts, chili and powdered cassava leaves (hako), baobab (lalo) or jute leaves (molokheya). There are so many variations of this dish that you can eat it every day and never get tired of it. The recipe requires a bit of patience: You need to leave it to cook for several hours for it to reach its full flavor. In our homes, the cooking fire stays lit all day; as soon as the lunch pot is taken off the heat, the one for dinner goes on. The millet is cooked separately, just before the meal. It's the best couscous in the world – moist, delicate, and flavorful. In fact, Senegal won that title in 2019 with thiéré, the millet couscous.
