How many lives must be eliminated for these events to qualify as a genocide?

Bishop's plea amid slaughter of Christians by jihadists

- By Jon King

A BISHOP has called for the massacre of thousands of Christians in an Islamist insurgency in Africa to be declared a genocide.

John Bakeni is Auxiliary Bishop of Maiduguri in Borno, a heartland for Boko Haram terrorists in North-East Nigeria.

Bishop Bakeni will lay bare "the reality" of Christians being persecuted in parts of his country when he addresses Parliament today at the launch of a report on religious freedom and persecution compiled by the charity Aid to the Church in Need (UK).

He says Christians are terrorised by insurgents in North-East Nigeria and by bandits in the North West while there are systematic killings, displacements and destruction of communities in the country's North Central area.

Bishop Bakeni, 50, said: "How many lives must be eliminated for these events to qualify as a genocide? I can say there really is a genocide going on in the North East of both Muslims [who refuse to comply with Boko Haram] and Christians."

He said it was becoming increasingly hard to buy land on which to build places of worship. People were being forced to switch beliefs and fewer institutions were offering space for Christians to practise their faith.

The religious leader, who was ordained in 2002 and became a bishop in July 2022, spoke of churches, schools and hospitals being destroyed by insurgents. He suffered a breakdown after four years of supporting families who were traumatised by violence.

Britain has long argued that, in line with the Genocide Convention, determining the intentional destruction of a group of people lies with international courts and tribunals, not with governments.

Dr Folahanmi Aina, a lecturer at London's School of Oriental and African Studies, said the actions of Boko Haram and its jihadist offshoot Islamic State - West Africa Province cannot be accurately described as genocidal.