The hearing is chaired by Rep Chris Smith (R-NJ), who is the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee.
Committee Chairman, Rep Chris Smith
In some of his remarks, Rep Smith saith that persecution of Christians in Nigeria has been an ongoing practice that the government and the perpetrators continue to deny it.
He cited several documented cases of killings and persecution including that of Deborah Yakubu who was killed Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto who was brutally killed by her fellow students and Nigerian government has refused to prosecute her killers.
The chairman also cited the the killings in the North Central part of Nigeria,including the Yelwata massacre that left close to 200 people, mostly Christians dead. The Chairman decried the fact that Nigeria, Iran and Afghanistan are the only countries in the world that currently retains blasphemy in their laws, highlighting that as a pointer to the fate of Christians in Nigeria.
The hearing is currently ongoing.
More details coming…
