The United States government Has warned of a \u201cgrave threat\u201d to religious
\nliberty in Nigeria that requires the urgent attention of the President
\nMohammadu Buhari administration.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe right to freedom of worship is a cherished constitutional right\u201d in
\nNigeria that must be protected, said John Kirby spokesperson for the
\nState Department.<\/p>\n
“Respect for the rule of law and the civil rights of all segments of
\nsociety is a hallmark of democracy. As the White Paper notes, We encourage
\nthe people and the government of Nigeria to support these fundamental
\nprinciples, regardless of religion, ethnicity, or region.”<\/p>\n
We also encourage the federal government to act on the Abuja high court\u2019s
\ndecision on December 2 that IMN leader Ibrahim Zakzaky and his wife should
\nbe released from prison within 45 days, as they have been held without
\ncharge since the events of last December.”<\/p>\n
“On December 5th, the Kaduna State Government in Nigeria issued a
\nlong-awaited White Paper on clashes last year that resulted in the deaths
\nof a reported 348 civilians and one soldier. We fully agree with the White
\nPaper\u2019s recommendation that members of the military who were involved in
\nthe unlawful killing of civilians must be held accountable and punished
\nappropriately. As the one-year anniversary of this tragic event
\napproaches, we call on the federal government to be diligent, transparent,
\nand expeditious in following through on this recommendation.”<\/p>\n
“We are concerned by the White Paper\u2019s characterization of the Islamic
\nMovement of Nigeria (IMN) as an \u201cinsurgent group,\u201d and urge the Nigerian
\ngovernment at every level to seek pathways for non-violent engagement with
\nall citizens, including minority religious groups.<\/p>\n
“We note reports that the IMN has taken actions that have undermined
\npublic order and safety. We call on the IMN to respect public order and
\ncooperate with law enforcement authorities as they carry out their lawful
\nduties.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The United States government Has warned of a \u201cgrave threat\u201d to religious liberty in Nigeria that requires the urgent attention of the President Mohammadu Buhari administration. \u201cThe right to freedom…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":50923,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-54929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n