Urgent Call for Action Against Genocide in Nigeria
An advocacy group, the Igbo Women Assembly (IWA), has urged the federal government of Nigeria to stop denying the existence of a genocide against Christians and instead focus on halting the ongoing violence. The call comes after the government’s reaction to a threat from U.S. President Donald Trump, who warned of using military force to combat terrorists causing chaos in the country.
In a statement released by IWA’s president, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, the group emphasized that evidence of the systematic killings of Christians is overwhelming. “Those denying the occurrence must be accomplices,” the statement said. The group criticized the government for its failure to address these atrocities, pointing out that it has been turning a blind eye to attacks by Islamic fundamentalists.
The IWA highlighted that the government’s response only came after the jolt provided by Trump’s comments. “It’s shameful that it takes American President’s tweet for Nigerian Government to talk about the senseless killings of its own citizens by blood-thirsty terrorists,” the group stated. They welcomed Trump’s actions, including designating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and threatening to take out the terrorists.
The women group also expressed frustration with the lack of attention given to the genocidal killings of Christians and indigenous populations. “These atrocities were also scarcely mentioned in the mainstream global media. We complained, they tagged us separatists, while the mainstream media dismissed the systematic genocides as herder-farmer clashes,” IWA lamented.
The Role of Media and Public Awareness
IWA criticized both local and international media for not adequately covering the activities of Islamic fundamentalists and Fulani herdsmen. They pointed out that the media often used politically correct euphemisms to describe the killings. “The noise about 2027 general election was already drowning the cries of Nigerians affected by the genocidal killings if not that Trump heard the wailings and pleadings for outside help,” the group noted.
The group also addressed the arguments made by the federal government and others who try to rationalize the targeted killings. They questioned the claim that Muslims also suffer the same fate, stating that casualty figures tell a different story. “From 2009 when these killings started till date, let those denying Christian genocide tell us how many mosques that were burnt down and compare it to hundreds of church buildings that have been razed down,” the statement said.
They further asked, “What’s the philosophy of these attackers? What agenda are they driving? What is their slogan as they mull down their victims, mostly Christians and non-Muslims?” These questions highlight the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the motives behind the violence.
A Call for Accountability and Transparency
IWA called for accountability and transparency from the Nigerian government. They accused the authorities of maintaining a conspiracy of silence around the genocidal killings. “Government has been pampering the perpetrators and even dressing them with repentance robes,” the group stated. This, they argued, has allowed the violence to persist unchecked.
The group also pointed out that the current focus on the 2027 general election is overshadowing the urgent need to address the ongoing crisis. “If not that Trump heard the wailings and pleadings for outside help, the cries of Nigerians affected by the genocidal killings would have gone unheard,” they added.
In conclusion, the IWA’s statement serves as a powerful reminder of the need for action. “We appreciate American President, Donald Trump, for his attention to the killing of Christians and indigenous Nigerians. Anybody denying genocidal killings in Nigeria must be an accomplice,” the group said. Their message is clear: the time for denial and inaction has passed, and the government must now take decisive steps to protect its citizens.