UK Parliamentarians Urge PM Starmer to Address Christian Killings with Tinubu
Members of the United Kingdom's Parliament have called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to confront President Bola Tinubu regarding the killing of Christians in Nigeria during the Nigerian leader's upcoming state visit to the UK. This visit, the first by a Nigerian president to the UK in 37 years, is set to include a state banquet at Windsor Castle hosted by the King and Queen, followed by a meeting at Downing Street.
Parliamentary Pressure on Human Rights
According to reports from the Daily Mail, MPs from the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Freedom of Religion or Belief (APPG FoRB) have written to Development Minister Baroness Jenny Chapman, urging the UK government to press Tinubu on human rights protections in Nigeria. The group's Chairman, Jim Shannon of the Democratic Unionist Party, emphasized that Nigeria must "take concrete steps to prevent the harassment, persecution and killing of Christians, while ensuring that perpetrators are investigated and prosecuted."
The letter, signed by 209 MPs and peers, expressed deep concern that the Nigerian state has not treated attacks on Christians with sufficient seriousness. Additionally, the MPs demanded updates on the case of Leah Sharibu, one of 110 schoolgirls kidnapped in 2018, highlighting ongoing issues of security and justice in the country.
Government Response to Alleged Smear Campaign
Concurrently, the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, has alleged that an embattled mining firm, Jupiter Ltd, is planning a smear campaign against Nigeria. This claim was made during President Tinubu's visit to the United Kingdom, with the government asserting that the company intends to circulate false allegations to discredit Nigeria and ongoing reforms in the mining sector.
In a statement by Segun Tomori, Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, the ministry noted that this planned campaign follows a recent rebuttal of what it described as false claims sponsored by Jupiter Ltd in a publication titled "Nigeria Seizes British Lithium Project Under Armed Guard." Tomori referenced an earlier response by the Special Adviser to the Minister, Kehinde Bamigbetan, titled "In Nigeria's Mining Sector, The Law Is No Respecter of Persons," which had already debunked these allegations.
Tomori explained that the core issue revolves around the strict application of regulations governing the mining sector, which led to the revocation of mineral titles belonging to a Nigerian company, Basin Mining Ltd, fronted by an Australian national, Mr. Davis. He alleged that Davis operated multiple companies to acquire mineral licences without conducting actual mining operations, thereby blocking genuine investors from the sector.
The ministry urged Nigerians and the international community to disregard what it termed attempts by "discredited individuals" to undermine ongoing reforms in the mining industry, reinforcing the government's commitment to regulatory enforcement and transparency.
