Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been told to raise the worrying numbers of persecution and killing of Christians with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu during his state visit to Britain next week.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Freedom of Religion or Belief, representing 209 MPs and peers, has formally written to International Development Minister Baroness Jennifer Chapman, pressing the Government to challenge the Nigerian leader on human rights.
Jim Shannon, the DUP MP who chairs the group, stated that Nigeria must "take concrete steps to prevent the harassment, persecution and killing of Christians, while ensuring that perpetrators are investigated and prosecuted."
President Tinubu and his wife Oluremi will be received by the King and Queen at Windsor Castle on Wednesday during an official State Visit, where they shall attend a state banquet as guests of honour.
TRENDING
Stories
Videos
Your Say
Following this, the Nigerian leader will travel to Downing Street for talks with Sir Keir on Thursday.
Next week's visit marks the first presidential state visit from the African nation in nearly four decades.
The parliamentary group has sought a written response from Baroness Chapman ahead of the visit, emphasising the significance of the occasion for raising concerns about religious freedom.
Nigeria, which secured independence from Britain in 1960, remains Africa's most densely populated nation with 230 million citizens.
MPs are urging Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to raise the persecution and killing of Christians with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu during his state visit to Britain this week
|PA
Nigeria ranks among the world's most dangerous nations for Christians, with Islamist militant organisations including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province conducting sustained attacks against believers and their properties.
Sharia law operates across 12 northern states, where practising Christianity frequently results in severe punishment.
Earlier this year, armed gangs abducted 163 Christian worshippers in the northern Kaduna State, continuing a troubling pattern of kidnappings targeting the faithful.
The parliamentary group has specifically demanded attention to the case of Leah Sharibu, one of 110 schoolgirls seized by militants in 2018.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Bola Tinubu met King Charles previously in 2023
|PA
She remains captive to this day, having refused to abandon her Christian faith.
The parliamentarians have insisted that human rights obligations must become integral to all future diplomatic, security and trade discussions between London and Abuja.
Their letter expressed concern that Nigerian state authorities and security services have frequently denied the true scale of attacks against Christians.
Mr Shannon told The Telegraph: "This is a vital issue and one the Prime Minister must raise directly with President Tinubu during the state visit.
"The UK has a long-standing relationship with Nigeria, and that partnership should include clear expectations around the protection of Christians, democratic standards and the rule of law."
Dame Sarah Mullally, the new Archbishop of Canterbury, may also address human rights when she welcomes Mrs Tinubu, herself a Christian pastor, to Lambeth Palace on Thursday for a prayer service.
More From GB News