United Nations experts have raised the alarm over “credible” report of abductions, sexual violence, forced conversion, forced marriage, abductions and acts tantamount to enforced disappearances targeting Christian and other religious minority communities in Nigeria.

In a statement on Monday, UN  experts lamented abductions, sexual violence, forced conversion, forced marriage, abductions and acts tantamount to enforced disappearances targeting Christian and other minorities in Nigeria.

“Credible reports of killings, abductions, sexual violence, forced conversion, forced marriage, abductions and acts tantamount to enforced disappearances targeting Christian and other religious minority communities in Nigeria, particularly women and girls, are alarming,” UN experts said.

They added, “The deteriorating security situation in northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt has created an environment in which armed extremist groups, including Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province, and radicalised individual herdsmen involved in the ‘farmer-herder’ conflict continue to operate with devastating consequences for civilians, amid persistent reports of impunity, institutional failures, and inadequate protection by authorities.” 

The UN experts include, Reem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences; Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and Nicolas Levrat, Special Rapporteur on minority issues. 

Others are Alice Jill Edwards, special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; Gabriella Citroni (chair-rapporteur), Grażyna Baranowska (vice-chair), Aua Baldé and Ana Lorena Delgadillo Pérez and Mohamed Al Obaidi, Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances.

The UN statement conveying the take of its experts on abduction, forced marriage and sexual violence targetted at Christians and other minority groups comes amid Christian genocide allegation.

Nigerian government has repeatedly denied Christian genocide in the country. However, U.S. government has continually pressured Nigerian government to protect its Christian citizens from terrorists.

Apart from redesignating Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern and bombing terrorists in their enclave in Sokoto last year, U.S. military in conjunction with Nigerian military killed ISIS secon-in-command Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki in North-East in May.