Two years after #BringBackOurGirls: Urgent international action needed
On second anniversary of Boko Haram’s brutal kidnapping of school girls, ADF International urges Intl Criminal Court to start prosecutions in Nigeria
Islamist terrorist groups systematically persecute Christians in Nigeria. The ongoing atrocities gained wider public attention when on April 14, 2014, the terrorist group Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls from a secondary school in Chibok, Borno State. While 57 escaped, the remaining 219 teenagers were reportedly forced into marriages or sold into slavery.
“On the sad second anniversary of the schoolgirls’ kidnapping, the girls of Chibok—like thousands of others—have not returned to their families. It’s clear that the situation in Nigeria is deteriorating,” said Paul Coleman, senior counsel and deputy director of ADF International. “Despite the global outcry against the atrocities that Christians are suffering at the hands of Boko Haram, little has been done. Urgent action is needed, not only to protect the innocent but to prosecute the perpetrators.”
The brutal abduction sparked the global campaign #BringBackOurGirls. It found unprecedented support among celebrities and world leaders, including David Cameron and Michelle Obama; however, two years later, the 219 teenagers have not been brought home, and Christians in Nigeria continue to encounter violence and religious discrimination.
“Our analysis clearly demonstrates that the crimes committed fall under the jurisdiction of the ICC,” said Ewelina Ochab, legal counsel with ADF International. “The ongoing persecution of Christians in Nigeria amounts to crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute. Our report outlines Nigeria’s current failure to protect its citizens and the urgent need for the international community to respond.”
ADF International is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith.
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ABOUT Paul Coleman
Paul Coleman serves as executive director of ADF International, overseeing the legal advocacy of all ADF International offices. Specializing in international human rights and European law, Coleman has been involved in more than 20 cases before the European Court of Human Rights and has authored submissions before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, UN Human Rights Committee, and numerous national courts. Coleman earned his LL.M. and postgraduate diploma in legal practice from the Northumbria Law School, graduating with distinction. He also has a bachelor of laws from Newcastle University and graduated with first-class honours. Coleman is a solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales and is the author of two books and numerous articles.