Lawmakers in the United Kingdom have called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to raise human rights concerns with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu during his upcoming state visit, particularly regarding the killings of Christians in Nigeria.
President Tinubu, accompanied by his wife, Oluremi Tinubu, is scheduled to attend a state banquet hosted by the King and Queen at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, followed by a meeting with Prime Minister Starmer at Downing Street on Thursday.
This marks the first state visit by a Nigerian president to the UK in 37 years.
According to the Daily Mail UK, members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Freedom of Religion or Belief (APPG FoRB) wrote to Development Minister Baroness Jenny Chapman urging the government to press Tinubu on protecting human rights in Nigeria.
Nigeria has been described as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for Christians, with ongoing attacks by terrorist groups including Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province.
The APPG FoRB, led by Democratic Unionist Party MP Jim Shannon, said Nigeria must take “concrete steps to prevent the harassment, persecution and killing of Christians, while ensuring that perpetrators are investigated and prosecuted.”
The group of 209 MPs and peers also criticized the Nigerian state for failing to adequately respond to these attacks and called for clarity on the case of Leah Sharibu, one of the 110 schoolgirls kidnapped in 2018.
The group urged Starmer to ensure that human rights commitments were central to all future diplomatic, security, and trade discussions, requesting a response from Baroness Chapman prior to the state visit.
Separately, the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, is expected to host First Lady Oluremi Tinubu at Lambeth Palace on Thursday.
The First Lady, a Christian pastor, will attend a prayer service, deliver a sermon, and meet with representatives of the Church of England and faith-based charities, including Christian Aid, that support communities in Nigeria.
