Abduction Of Over 300 Schoolchildren In Nigeria Shows Islamic Militants Act ‘Above The Law’, EU Lawmaker
A member of the European Parliament, Željana Zovko, has condemned the escalating wave of jihadist violence in Nigeria, warning that the recent abduction of more than 300 schoolchildren from a Catholic school is further evidence that Islamic militant groups now operate as though they are “above the law.”
Zovko, who recently visited Nigeria on a fact-finding mission, accused both Nigerian authorities and international institutions of failing to provide adequate protection for Christian communities, despite years of massacres, church burnings and targeted attacks across the country.
In a video she posted on her Facebook page, according to her, more than 38 million Christians across Sub-Saharan Africa face high levels of persecution and discrimination, while their homes and places of worship are continually destroyed in increasingly frequent attacks.
She added that eight of the world’s 10 deadliest countries for Christians are located in the region, yet global indifference remains “deafening.”
The lawmaker criticised what she described as the “hypocrisy and empty speeches” of international bodies that promote interreligious peace initiatives while ignoring the worsening humanitarian crisis.
Many of the so-called peace projects driven by international agencies, she argued, amount to little more than “mimicry of interreligious dialogue,” detached from the deadly realities faced by rural communities.
Zovko said the kidnapping of over 300 Catholic schoolchildren in Nigeria should serve as a stark reminder that militant groups “feel untouchable” and continue to terrorise vulnerable populations with impunity.
She said: “If you didn’t know, more than 38 million Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination. Their homes and churches are destroyed, and believers face enormous pressure across Sub-Saharan Africa. Violence is rising sharply, eight out of the 10 deadliest countries for Christians are in this region.
“This instability allows Christians to be targeted. In the Middle East, Christians are being driven underground, and emigration is transforming an ancient and once numerous community into a much smaller and endangered minority.
“Above all, the situation in Nigeria is alarming. Since 2009, more than 50,000 Christians have been brutally massacred. I recently visited Nigeria and met directly with the authorities, questioning why stronger protection is not being provided to Christian communities and why attacks on their churches continue unchecked.
“These stories have been ignored for far too long by international media, but the silence must end. In Abuja, I reminded the international community, and your services, that these mimicry projects of interreligious dialogue mean nothing when you remain in the capital and do not go to the communities under attack.”
“So don’t give us these speeches. We have had resolutions here. We have asked the Commission to finally start doing its job, and you are not doing your job. The recent kidnapping of 300 schoolchildren from a Catholic school in Nigeria is a brutal reminder that these groups operate as though they are above the law. History will judge us by the actions we take here,” she added.
