The senate has set up a 12-member ad hoc committee to develop a comprehensive position paper in response to growing international concerns over alleged state-backed persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
The senate took the decision on Tuesday after lawmakers met behind closed doors to deliberate on recent claims by the US government suggesting possible acts of genocide targeting Christians in parts of the country.
Members of the committee include Victor Umeh (Anambra central), Yemi Adaramodu (Ekiti south), Aniekan Bassey (Akwa Ibom north-east), Adeniyi Adegbonmire (Ondo central), Abdul Ningi (Bauchi central), and Titus Zam (Benue north-west).
Others are Tony Nwoye (Anambra north), Tahir Monguno (Borno central), and Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River south).
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Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who announced the composition of the committee, said the position paper must be backed by verifiable facts and statistics.
On October 9, the upper chamber resolved to engage with the US Congress to counter what it described as “misleading narratives” portraying Nigeria’s security challenges as a Christian genocide.
The decision followed a motion moved by Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south.
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Ted Cruz, a US senator, recently proposed a bill that seeks to protect “persecuted” Christians in Nigeria and designate the country as a “country of particular concern” for alleged religious persecution.
On September 30, President Bola Tinubu said allegations of religious genocide in Nigeria were unfounded, noting that the country is built on the faith and resilience of its people.
Mohammed Idris, minister of information, described claims of Christian genocide in Nigeria as “ignorant, false and baseless”.
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