“The predominantly Christian ethnic minority tribes who inhabit the Southern part of the State have experienced relentless attacks since 2011, with a significant uptick following the advent of the current administration in 2015,” the organization says in a Tuesday, September 28 report.
According to the organization that advocates for religious freedom in the world, the Nigerian State continues to experience alarming levels of violence despite being the headquarters of 11 military installations.
The organization has quoted a source who said, “Most communities in Southern Kaduna, including some in Birnin Gwari and Igabi, have more mass graves than government projects.”
Sources in Nigeria have also questioned delayed response by the military in the country when attacks against Christians occur, saying that the assailants had allegedly notified villagers in advance that they would be launching an attack.
In the September 28 report, CSW Founder, President Mervyn Thomas, expresses the organization’s solidarity with victims of the attacks in Kaduna.
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“Once again our hearts break for the people of Southern Kaduna who continue to face relentless violence on a near daily basis,” Mr. Mervyn says, and adds, “We extend our deepest condolences to all those who lost loved ones in these attacks, and pray for the swift return of all abductees.”
The CSW President also calls on the authorities in Africa’s most populous nation to protect civilians without bias saying, “The State and Federal governments must do far more to protect all vulnerable communities in an unbiased manner, and to combat the threats posed by Fulani militia and other armed non-state actors.”
“This is also not the first-time allegations have been made of inadequate protection despite warnings of an impending attack. This is concerning, and must be investigated by the Nigerian government, and failing that, by the wider international community,” Mr. Mervyn says in the September 28 report.
Agnes Aineah is a Kenyan journalist with a background in digital and newspaper reporting. She holds a Master of Arts in Digital Journalism from the Aga Khan University, Graduate School of Media and Communications and a Bachelor's Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communications from Kenya's Moi University. Agnes currently serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.