US urged to help curtail violence in Nigeria

US urged to help curtail violence in Nigeria

WASHINGTON — The United States has a responsibility to act to curtail extremist violence in Nigeria, said religious freedom and human rights advocates from both countries in a Capitol Hill briefing. The June 5 event, sponsored by International Christian Concern, focused on a West African country that is by far the largest population-wise on the continent and is plagued by religious- and ethnic-based violence especially from Islamic forces.

Among the 25 most populous countries in the world, Nigeria has the highest level of social hostilities, according to a 2017 study by the Pew Research Center.

Nigeria ranks behind only Iraq and Afghanistan on the 2017 Global Terrorism Index produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace. (BP)