- Impunity of those responsible for killings seems widespread…
By Yemi Adebowale
The United States House of
Representatives says Nigeria has been cited as the most dangerous place
for Christians in the world and that impunity for those responsible for
the killing of Christians in the country “seems to be widespread.”
The Chairman of its Sub-committee on
Africa, Global Health, Human Rights and International Organisation,
Christopher Smith, stated this in a letter inviting former President
Goodluck Jonathan to make a presentation to the Sub-Committee on the
challenges faced by Christians in Nigeria and the Niger Delta issue.
Although, the event held on the 1st and
2nd February, the actual content of the letter is only just revealed
with its labelling of Nigeria as the most dangerous country to be a
Christian.
Smith, in the letter made exclusively
available to THISDAY, said: “My subcommittee has broadly investigated
the crises facing Christians in Nigeria today. My staff director, Greg
Simpkins and I have made several visits to Nigeria, speaking with
Christians and Muslim religious leaders across the country and visiting
fire-bombed churches, such as in Jos. Unfortunately, Nigeria has been
cited as the most dangerous place for Christians in the world and
impunity for those responsible for the killing of Christians seem to be
widespread.
“In fulfillment of your foundation’s
mandate to promote democracy, peace and transformational change, I
invite you to come to the United States next week to share your views on
this matter, including the alleged Islamisation of government under the
current administration and the actions your foundation is prepared to
take in pursuit of religious freedom.”
The sub-committee also congratulated the
Nigerian former President on the establishment of the Goodluck Jonathan
Foundation, adding, “Your timely concession after your electoral loss
in 2015, demonstrates a commitment to democracy and the stability of
your nation, which was acknowledged by current President Muhammadu
Buhari.”
Jonathan, who was invited by the
sub-committee in his capacity as Chairman of the Goodluck Jonathan
Foundation, first addressed the sub-committee on Wednesday, and was invited to a closed-door session on Thursday,
during which he said that the implementation of the resolutions of the
2014 National Conference was the panacea for ethnic and religious
tensions in Nigeria.
The former President also identified
impunity as a factor contributing to the recurrence of violence, such as
the one in Southern Kaduna, noting that if those behind previous crises
were not prosecuted, “then like-minded individuals and groups would be
emboldened to repeat the same acts.”
Jonathan also talked about his efforts
to end impunity, specifically citing the case of Kabiru Sokoto, the
mastermind of the Christmas Day bombing of Saint Theresa’s Catholic
Church in Madalla, Niger State, who was arrested, prosecuted, convicted
and imprisoned by his administration and was the first successful
prosecution of a terrorist attack on a place of worship in Nigeria’s
history.
He said: “That promise was fulfilled on the 20th of December 2013 when
Kabiru Umar, aka Kabiru Sokoto, was
sentenced to life imprisonment after my administration investigated that
crime, identified him as the mastermind, arrested him, and diligently
prosecuted him and some of his associates.”
The former president also noted that his
administration’s prosecution of the perpetrators of the deadly bombing
of an office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
also in Madalla on April 8, 2011 was the first successful prosecution of
terrorists in Nigeria.
While supporting the National
Conference’s recommendation for an independent Religious Equity
Commission to be set up to apprehend and arrest perpetrators of ethnic
and religious violence, Jonathan maintained that ending impunity would
also ease tensions.
On the Niger Delta, the former president
said he fully aligned with the views of the 2014 National Conference,
which called for true and fiscal federalism as the way out of agitations
in the region and in other parts of Nigeria.
The meetings were attended by Smith and
other influential staff of the sub-committee. Others were Congressman
Tony Hall, Ambassador Frank Wolf, Gregory Simpkins and Elijah Brown, who
is Vice President of 21 Century Wilberforce Initiative and other
stakeholders in Washington.
Former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi and Reno Omokri, a former media aide to Jonathan were also at the briefings.
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