Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Nigeria: Killing and Abduction of Christians

Thursday 9 March 2023 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial Questions addressed the killing and abduction of Christians in Nigeria.
  • The Bishop of Guildford supported the Church of Nigeria and the Archbishop of Canterbury stays in touch.
  • The Church of England and Anglican communion are reaching out to Christians in Nigeria to assure them of support.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Bob Blackman Con Harrow East
Religion & Faith
Context

The question follows recent violence against Christians in Nigeria, including murders and abductions. The Church of England has had discussions with the Church of Nigeria about these issues.

Question

Whether representatives of the Church of England have had recent discussions with the Church of Nigeria on taking steps to help tackle the killing and abduction of Christians in that country?

Answer from Andrew Selous

The murder and abduction of Christians in Nigeria is distressingly common, totally abhorrent and has gone on for far too long. The Bishop of Guildford was in Nigeria last November to support the Church of Nigeria, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, who knows Nigeria well, stays constantly in touch with the situation there.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific steps not mentioned

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Q2 Bob Blackman Con Harrow East
Religion & Faith
Context

Following the recent elections in Nigeria, violence against Christians has spiked. The Church of England's role in reaching out to support Christians and assure the election victors is under scrutiny.

Question

What attempts are being made by the Church to reach out to Christians in Nigeria to assure them of our support, and to the victors of the election to make sure that they safeguard Christians in that country?

Answer from Andrew Selous

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for bringing that matter before the House. He is right to do so. I know that the Church of England and the Anglican communion will do exactly what he says. In November last year, 21 Christians were killed, female students at the state university in Bokkos were raped, and a Catholic priest was burned to death in Paikoro.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific outreach efforts not detailed

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Q3 Andrew Gwynne Ind Gorton and Denton
Foreign Affairs Religion & Faith
Context

Violent Islamist militants and motorbike bandits are threatening Christians, causing mass displacement and murder. The Church of England's role in influencing the British Government and Foreign Office is under scrutiny.

Question

What more can the Church of England do to influence the British Government and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to do more to assist Nigeria in defeating those militants who are persecuting Christians?

Answer from Andrew Selous

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his interest in this matter, which needs as much attention as we can give it. The Government are actively implementing the Bishop of Truro's recommendation that the Church of England checks regularly with the Government that all those implementations are being put into place.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific actions not detailed

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