Rights Group Urge Christian Leaders to Sue Former Nigerian Governor over Bigotry Remarks

“Where it is found that they have appointive or elective engagements such as academic board (Oxford) in the case of El-Rufai, such appointments or elections should be terminated,” they add.

The authors of the Intersociety report say, “It is morally reprehensible for the UK Government to continue to play host and open its international doors to worst violators and abusers of human rights and promoters of genocide and genocidal incitements.”

They note that “the UK Government cannot probate and reprobate by globally parading itself as a global Democratic and Human Rights Respector State.”

“Our call above is also extended to the Governments of the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Portugal, Netherlands, Switzerland, Ireland, Scotland, Denmark, Sweden, Australia, Norway, Spain, Italy, the rest of Europe and the United Nations Organization,” the Intersociety researchers say in the report signed by their Board Chair & Lead-Researcher, Emeka Umeagbalasi.

In the viral video, Mr. El-Rufai who was speaking in Hausa says that since 2019, the development realized in Kaduna State regardless of people’s political and religious affiliations proves the effectiveness of “a government that has a Muslim as governor, a Muslim as deputy governor, a Muslim as SSG (secretary of state government), a Muslim as chief of staff, (and) a Muslim as finance commissioner.”

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The former Governor goes on to admit that “of course, we consider the religious aspect but I can’t say that,” and in an attempt to justify the Muslim dominance and deny discrimination against Christians poses, “But what I am saying is who is being oppressed?”

In the June 2023 investigation, Intersociety researchers say they have been “vindicated by recent revelations by Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai, immediate past Gov of Kaduna State.”

They recall that El-Rufai had in 2015 “abolished the Kaduna Charter of Equity by scrapping power sharing between Muslims and Christians.”

“He not only scrapped positions reserved for Christians including the seat of Deputy Gov of the State but also deployed state machinery including coercive instruments to unleash unchecked and ceaseless attacks and persecution of Christian leaders in the State,” the authors of the intersociety report add.

They continue in reference to Christians in Kaduna State, “Not only that they were several times arrested and clamped into detention but also a number of Christian traditional rulers were killed or dethroned or sent to prisons and bylaws establishing their thrones abolished and replaced with Fulani Emirate codes.”

“Figures of those killed or abducted in the State have also been consistently mangled or twisted to create a questionable database that look as if more Muslims are being killed or abducted than Christians across the State,” they add.

On June 8, members of the Nigeria Catholic Diocesan Priests Association (NCDPA) in Kaduna State called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to “correct the fallacies” that the immediate former of the Nigerian State made in the viral video.

Earlier, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), a UK-based human rights foundation that advocates for the upholding and protection of the right to freedom of religion or belief, faulted the former Governor’s remarks for being nonfactual.

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.