Afordia, a Nigerian widow whose husband Isaac Inuwa was shot dead by militants in 2014, has joined a delegation to hand a petition to Downing Street. The petition, signed by more than a million people worldwide, demands protection, justice and restoration for Christians facing violence across sub‑Saharan Africa.
Inuwa was traveling with Afordia on 29 October 2014 when men in uniform stopped their car. Afordia recalls thinking they were Nigerian Army, but “some other men came out of hiding with guns shouting at us to get out of the car.” The attackers asked Inuwa whether he was a Muslim or an “infidel” in Hausa. He replied that he was neither, but that he was a Christian. He was then ordered to the side of the road, knelt, prayed, and was shot several times.
Open Doors, the charity that organized the handover, reports that an average of 12 Christians are killed for their faith each day in sub‑Saharan Africa. The organization’s Arise Africa campaign is pressing governments to respond to deadly attacks, sexual violence and displacement affecting Christian communities.
International pressure has intensified. The European Parliament adopted a resolution in July condemning the persecution of Nigerian Christians, urging Nigerian authorities to strengthen civilian protections, bring attackers to justice and end impunity. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom has also condemned attacks against Christians and warned that Nigerian government efforts are failing to protect vulnerable religious communities.
In the United States, Washington has carried out strikes against Islamic State targets in Nigeria’s Sokoto State on Christmas Day 2025, with former President Donald Trump linking the operation to the killing of Christians. Outside the Christian community, voices such as Hardeep Singh, deputy‑director of the Network of Sikh Organisations, have challenged Western leaders over their response to Christian persecution in Nigeria.
Source: Christian Today
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