Italian prime minister adds her voice to the debate over the killing of Nigerian Christians

ITALIAN prime minister Georgia Meloni has added her voice to the ongoing debate surrounding the killing of Christians in Nigeria by calling on the federal government to arrest and prosecute all those responsible for the violence.

Earlier this month, US president Donald Trump declared that Nigerian Christians were being persecuted and called for the redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC). He further added that he may consider sending the US military into Nigeria to resolve the problem.

Over the last few weeks, the matter has become an international debating subject and now Prime Minister Meloni has waded into the matter, calling for action. Ms Meloni, condemned the attacks on Christians, saying that religious freedom was the right of every human being and urged the Nigerian government to prosecute those responsible for the violence as well as demanding the tightening of security in Christian communities.

Prime Minister Meloni said: “We strongly condemn the renewed violence against Christian communities in Nigeria today. Religious freedom is an inalienable right, so we call on the Nigerian government to strengthen the protection of Christian communities and all religious communities and prosecute those responsible for this heinous attack.

“Italy expresses its closeness to the victims and communities in Nigeria that today feel in danger because of their religious beliefs.” Ms Meloni, Italy's first ever female prime minister, is as far right politician, with views similar to those of President Trump on many issues.

On Tuesday evening armed gunmen attacked a church in Eruku in Kwara State, killing two people and kidnapping the pastor and some worshippers. This Kwara attack came days after 25 girls were abducted from a boarding school in Kebbi State.

In his latest comments on the issue, speaking on a conservative radio programme yesterday, President Trump stated that thousands of Christians are being killed in Nigeria.  He also accused the Nigerian government of failing to protect Christians from violence perpetrated by the Islamic extremists.

Hinting at his next move during the radio programme, President Trump said he may stop all aid to Nigeria. He then repeated his threat to take military action against Islamist militants in Nigeria if the government does not do more to stop these attacks on Christian communities.

“They’re killing people by the thousands. It’s a genocide and I’m really angry about it. And we pay, you know, we give a lot of subsidies to Nigeria. We’re going to end up stopping,” President Trump added.