By Bonaventure Phillips Melah 08036062975

A special investigative body set up by the United Nations on religious freedom, has submitted preliminary report, indicting Nigerian government for failing to protect its citizens from various forms of abuse and death over their religious inclinations.

The investigative body led by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Beliefs (FoRB), Professor Nazila Ghanea, at a press conference on Friday, released preliminary report on a two-week mission in Nigeria which visited Kano and Plateau States.

The preliminary report was presented at the headquarters of the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC in Abuja with the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr, Tony Ojukwu, SAN in attendance, alongside directors, senior officers and representatives of some local and international organizations.

Prof. Nazila Chanea who lamented the rampant killings going on across Nigeria, committed by religious extremists and organisations affiliated international terror groups, said thousands of Nigeria’s have been killed without any punishment against the perpetrators, adding that Nigeria has become a slaughter house where life longer matters.

The UN Special Rapporteur therefore called on the federal government to domesticate the International Criminal Court, ICC Charter and other UN laws to try violators of regions freedom rights in the country.

She also called on religious leaders to denounce those who preach extremist ideologies and condemn their violent acts to serve as deterrent to others.

According to her, the investigation was meant to explore how freedom of thought, conscience and religion interacts with human rights realities on the ground throughout this vast land.

She noted that they were able to meet and interface with several top Nigerian officials, including the National Security,  Solicitor-General/Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, representatives of various departments of the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Development, the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Immigration Service, Supreme Court Justices and the Nigerian Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

She said- “I had asked for a number of other official meetings at the Federal level and regret that these could not be facilitated.”

She said: “Pockets of horrendous mass atrocities and international crimes were observed, but investigators found no evidence of a nationwide, intentional government policy to destroy a religious community. Inadequate security responses and repeated violence are major drivers of harm. Freedom of religion/conscience is being constrained by labels, silos, and political instrumentalisation; victims must lead the narrative until proper investigations and justice occur.”

She affirmed that the prevailing insecurity in Nigeria prevented her from extending her investigations to other parts of Nigeria, called for accountability processes and victim‑centred investigations to determine individual and institutional responsibility.

She noted that labels, cultural frames and polarisation prevent many people in Nigeria from freely expressing conscience and religious belief.

She called for the need to break silos and enable plural, conscience‑based expression across communities.

According to the preliminary report, ” Discussion of freedom of religion or belief in Nigeria elicits very acute concerns about insecurity, violence and conflict which has spread throughout the country and has generated huge alarm, albeit to different intensities and for different reasons.

“These include terrorist actions, gang violence and banditry incursions, land grabbing to mass displacement, armed conflict and cattle rustling, hostage taking to arson attacks, destruction of holy places and schools, large scale kidnappings in remote areas and civil unrest around protests and strikes, decimation of irrigated farmlands and whole villages and livelihoods, through endless cycles of threats, fear and death in expanding areas of the country. Impunity and lack of accountability have reportedly entrenched these cycles of fear and violence and encouraged its spread. Previously these cycles were focused in particular regions, for example in the Northwest and North Central.”