A new major poll indicates that British foreign aid to Nigeria should be discontinued unless massacres of Christians come to an end.
More than half of people (53 percent) want British aid to Nigeria made conditional on standards protecting Christians. This is revealed by a new Savanta ComRes poll. Nearly six out of 10 respondents (58 percent) backed sanctions against human rights abusers.The poll originated from increasing concerns about atrocities carried out by Boko Haram and the region’s version of the so-called Islamic State.In addition, there was strong support for lobbying the UN to dispatch peacekeeping forces into parts of Nigeria (53 percent). Two in five UK adults (39 percent) stated that they expect the UK to speak out against violence towards Christians in Nigeria.
The poll consisting of more than 2,000 adults, commissioned by humanitarian organisation PSJ UK, also discovered that more than one in four people (26 percent) of people would support Britain intervening with military force in parts of Nigeria, even though 35 percent were opposed.
Ayo Adedoyin, PSJ UK’s chief executive, stated: “For too long, Nigeria’s Christians have been silently slaughtered. Their cries have been ignored by the mainstream media and political establishment, both in Nigeria and across the Western world.
“There will be no peace in Africa until Nigeria, the continent’s largest economy and breadbasket of the future, can defend each of its citizens, particularly the most vulnerable. While we cannot underestimate the threat of Covid-19, it is undeniable that Islamic terrorism has posed a bigger threat to Nigerian society at the start of 2020.
“The poll findings are highly encouraging, particularly as they indicate a strong expectation of British involvement to solve this crisis. Sanctions on high-profile rights abusers who contribute towards or permit the mass killing of innocent Christians is a good place to start, and I commend the British public for supporting this measure.”
A spokesman for the Department for International emphasized that aid does not go directly to the government of Nigeria.
“We are deeply concerned by human rights abuses against all Nigerians, including Christians, and have raised our concerns at the highest levels of the Nigerian government. Nigeria has millions of people living in extreme poverty, and it is right that the UK provides life-saving humanitarian support to vulnerable people in need.” he remarked
