Biafra: IPOB Tables Fresh Request Before US Over ‘Killing’ of Christians In Nigeria

Coordinators of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have called on the United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, to send a special envoy to investigate the alleged killing of Christians in Nigeria.

While making reference to a report by the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on International Religious Freedom or Belief, which said Christians are being targeted because of their faith in Nigeria, IPOB said “Biafra Christians” are being targeted in incessant killings.

In a letter to Mike Pompeo, the group accused the federal government of Nigeria of failing to put an end to such killings.

IPOB wants the special envoy to be able to hold the Nigerian government accountable for its harmful actions and equally detrimental inaction.

The letter read: “We write to you as the United States coordinators for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), an organization that represents the social, political, and economic interests of Biafrans in Nigeria.

“These issues have been compounded by the Nigerian government’s inability and unwillingness to hold violent perpetrators accountable for their actions.

“As Biafrans who live and work in America but remain immensely concerned about the state of our homeland, we urge you to consider appointing a Special Envoy to the Lake Chad region who can hold the Nigerian government accountable for its harmful actions and equally detrimental inaction.

“Our concerns have also been echoed by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for International Freedom of Religion or Belief, a group of British lawmakers from across the ideological spectrum established to raise awareness of and defend against religious freedom abuses around the world. Last month, the APPG released a report titled, Nigeria: Unfolding Genocide, which provided recommendations to prevent the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

“While the report noted that issues like resource competition, population growth, and climate change have contributed to the farmer-herder conflict, it highlighted extremist ideology and government mismanagement as the main sources of conflict, emphasizing, “the inability of the Nigerian Federal and State Governments to protect Christian farmers, and the lack of political will to respond adequately to warnings or to bring perpetrators of violence to justice, has fostered feelings of victimization and persecution.”

The group also urged the United States to conduct a study to highlight the issues and hold the Nigerian government accountable.

“The IPOB strongly supports this request, as we believe the only way to prevent the Nigerian government from allowing these attacks and human rights violations to continue with impunity is rigorous oversight conducted by a well- respected third party, like a Special Envoy,” it said.