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Catholic Charity Lauds King Charles’ Meeting with Victims of Extremism in Nigeria

Credit: ACN

The recent meeting between King Charles III and some of the victims of religious extremism in Nigeria is a laudable step towards addressing the violence in the West African country, the Catholic charity and pontifical foundation, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International, has said.

In a Monday, December 19 report, the director of the British secretariat of CAN, Caroline Hull, says that the December 8 meeting allowed the British to listen to raw accounts of those who had suffered at the hands of Islamist militias in Nigeria.

“We are so grateful to the King for allowing us to introduce him to witnesses of Christian persecution,” Caroline Hull says, adding, “It is so important that their stories are heard.”

ACN reports that King Charles III met with victims of the persecution of the Christian community in Nigeria at the event that was held in London in the context of the Advent Season. The event was also attended by the ACN Foundation.

The monarch heard, among others, the testimony of Fr. Alfred Ebalu, a survivor of kidnapping and death threats and violence in Africa’s most populous country.

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“Fr. Ebalu highlighted the increasing cases of persecution of Christians not only in Nigeria but also in other regions of Africa,” ACN reports.

The December 8 meeting reportedly took place at King's House, a community center belonging to the Anglican Church, and was also attended by a delegation from the British secretariat of the ACN Foundation, namely, Caroline Hull, Fr. Dominic Robinson, the Ecclesiastical Assistant, and also John Pontifex who was responsible for the communication department and who presented the witnesses to the monarch.

Apart from the accounts of the victims of religious extremism, ACN gave King Charles III a copy of the report, “Persecuted and Forgotten?”, about Christians oppressed because of their faith.

The report addresses violations of religious freedom against Christians in 24 countries “where this reality is of particular concern,” ACN says.

At the end of the event, Caroline Hull thanked the event organizers for providing an opportunity to show “the vital role that faith plays in our contemporary world.”

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The director of the British secretariat of Aid to ACN underlined the importance of the meeting with Charles III, for having heard first-hand real testimonies of what the persecution of Christians means in some countries in Africa.

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.