A report by Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust has revealed that at least 1000 Christians have been killed by the Boko Haram insurgents since the beginning of 2019.
The report was presented at the International Organisation for Peace and Social Justice crisis conference in London, according to ChurchTimes, a Christian based website.
Baroness Cox, Founder of HART, explained that herdsmen were largely responsible for the new wave of violence.
Cox urged the United Kingdom Government to make its annual £300m donation to Nigeria conditional on the Nigerian Government’s taking determined action to stop the killings.
She said, “While the underlying causes of violence are complex, the asymmetry and escalation of attacks by well-armed Fulani militia upon predominantly Christian communities is stark, and must be acknowledged.
“It is too simplistic to label these atrocities as driven by desertification, climate change, or competition for resources.
“Unless the UK and Nigerian governments are willing to address the massacre’s ideological roots, they will never be able to help the innocent victims being slaughtered on the killing fields of Plateau, Benue, Taraba, Southern Kaduna, and parts of Bauchi.
“To the extent that the Nigerian leadership abdicates its fundamental duty to look after its most vulnerable citizens, we suggest making UK foreign aid to Nigeria conditional on the successful protection of Christian communities.”
