Sharon Keogan (Independent)

I rise today to speak on a matter of grave urgency and moral clarity. I refer to the modern persecution of Christians, in particular in Nigeria, which has reached levels that many experts now describe as genocidal. According to the World Watch List 2024, more than 365 million Christians worldwide faced high levels of persecution, and nowhere was this crisis more acute than in Nigeria. In 2023, of the 5,000 Christians who were killed for their faith worldwide, 90% were killed in Nigeria. This year, the situation has worsened. Reports reveal that 7,087 Christians have been massacred in Nigeria in 2025. That is 32 killed every single day for their faith. More than 19,000 churches have been destroyed since 2009 and millions have been displaced. This year, a massacre in the town of Yelwata saw 200 Christians slaughtered overnight by jihadists. Victims include women, children and the elderly. This is not random violence; it is targeted, systemic and ideologically driven. Groups like Boko Haram and other militia are waging war on Christianity in Nigeria. Priests are being kidnapped, churches burned and entire communities erased from the map, yet the international response has been muted.

I echo the calls made in Westminster for the UK and the EU to prioritise freedom of religion or belief in foreign policy. I call on the Government to likewise hold perpetrators accountable through sanctions and diplomatic pressure. Let us not be silent. Silence is complicity. I call on this House to condemn these atrocities, to stand in solidarity with persecuted Christians and to ensure that Ireland's voice is heard on the global stage in defence of religious freedom.