Tinubu's UK Visit: Human Rights Tensions

0:00On March 14, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tanubu is on his first state visit to the United Kingdom in 37 years. He and his wife Alarimi will meet King Charles and Queen Camilla at Windsor Castle for a banquet on Wednesday, then head to Downing Street to see Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday. UK lawmakers are pushing hard for Starmer to challenge Tanubu directly about the ongoing violence against Christians in Nigeria. To visit highlights tensions over human rights, Nigeria ranks as one of the deadliest places for Christians, with attacks from groups like Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province. Northern states enforce Sharia law, and kidnappings of worshippers have surged, including 163 people earlier this year, in Kaduna. State. Lawmakers from a cross-party group on religious freedom, representing over 200 MPs and peers, go to a government minister demanding action. They want Nigeria to investigate attacks, prosecute killers, and protect victims.

1:01A big concern is Leah Sharibu, kidnapped as a schoolgirl in 2018, and still held for refusing to abandon her faith. Meanwhile, the new Archbishop of Canterbury plans to host Nigeria's first lady, a Christian pastor, at Lambeth Palace on Thursday for prayers, and talks with church leaders. The group also calls for human rights to shape all future UK Nigeria deals on trade and security. As Nigeria grapples with thousands of deaths from insurgent violence since the early 2000s, these talks could set the tone for stronger. As a mid-growing global scrutiny.