Christian genocide claims: Senate sets up committee

Senate

The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday constituted a 12-member ad-hoc committee to advise the legislature on how to address growing international concerns regarding allegations of state-supported persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

The decision followed a closed-door session during which lawmakers deliberated on recent claims by the United States Government suggesting possible acts of genocide targeting Christians in certain regions of the country.

The Senate’s action comes in the wake of discussions led by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and other members of the U.S. Congress for Nigeria to be designated a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged religious persecution.

The newly constituted committee comprises Senators Victor Umeh, Yemi Adaramodu, Aniekan Bassey, Niyi Adegbonmire, Abdul Ningi, Titus Zam, Tony Nwoye, Tahir Munguno, and Asuquo Ekpenyong, among others.

The panel has been mandated to produce a comprehensive position paper, to be presented to both the Executive and the Senate, that will inform Nigeria’s legislative stance on the issue and guide its participation in ongoing international engagements.

Announcing the committee, Senate President Godswill Akpabio stressed the importance of grounding the document in verifiable data.

“The position paper must be backed with verifiable facts and statistics,” he stated. Punch