NIGERIA: The continued captivity of schoolgirl Leah Sharibu and wider concerns over the persecution of Christians in Nigeria are poised to cast a shadow over the state visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the United Kingdom, UK the Daily Mail has reported.
The development follows mounting pressure from British lawmakers urging their government to confront the Nigerian leader on the issue.
Tinubu, who will be accompanied by Nigeria’s First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, is expected to be hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle on Wednesday for a state banquet. The Nigerian president is also scheduled to meet with Keir Starmer at Downing Street on Thursday in what marks the first state visit by a Nigerian president to Britain in 37 years.
However, the diplomatic visit has already drawn scrutiny from members of the UK Parliament who say the opportunity should be used to address the worsening security and human rights situation affecting Christian communities in Nigeria.
Lawmakers belonging to the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Freedom of Religion or Belief (APPG FoRB) have written to Development Minister Jenny Chapman, urging the British government to press President Tinubu on the protection of religious freedom and the safety of Christians across Nigeria.
The group’s chairman, Jim Shannon, warned that Nigeria must take “concrete steps to prevent the harassment, persecution and killing of Christians,” while ensuring that those responsible for attacks are properly investigated and prosecuted.
Their concerns reflect growing alarm in Westminster over Nigeria’s reputation as one of the most dangerous places in the world for Christians, following repeated attacks by extremist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province.
Earlier this year, more than 160 Christian worshippers were reportedly kidnapped by armed gangs in Kaduna State, adding to a wave of abductions and violent assaults targeting Christian communities in northern Nigeria.
Lawmakers have also demanded clarity on the fate of Leah Sharibu, who was among 110 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram from a school in Dapchi in 2018 but remains in captivity after reportedly refusing to renounce her Christian faith.
The British parliamentary group, which includes over 200 MPs and peers, has expressed concern that Nigerian authorities have not treated such attacks with the urgency and seriousness required.
The issue is also expected to surface during the First Lady’s programme in London. Oluremi Tinubu is scheduled to attend a prayer service at Lambeth Palace hosted by Sarah Mullally, where discussions around religious freedom and humanitarian support in Nigeria may arise.
The mounting pressure from UK lawmakers mirrors similar calls from some members of the U.S. Congress urging Donald Trump to take stronger action over the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria, underscoring how the issue is increasingly shaping international conversations around Nigeria’s security and human rights record.
