BREAKING: Italy Presses Nigerian Government to Prosecute Christian Killers

• Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni has called on the Nigerian government to strengthen security for Christian communities and prosecute those responsible for attacks, following recent abductions and killings in Kwara and Kebbi states.

Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni has urged the Nigerian government to prosecute perpetrators of violence against Christians and to tighten security in Christian communities nationwide.

In a statement on Friday, Meloni condemned recent attacks on Christians, emphasising that religious freedom is an inalienable right. “We strongly condemn the renewed violence against Christian communities in Nigeria today. Religious freedom is an inalienable right: we call on the Nigerian government to strengthen the protection of Christian communities and all religious communities and prosecute those responsible for this heinous attack,” she said.

Her statement follows renewed reports of attacks on Christian communities, including the kidnapping of worshippers in Eruku, Kwara State, earlier this week. According to police and witnesses, gunmen attacked a church on Tuesday evening, killing at least two people and abducting the pastor along with several worshippers.

This incident comes shortly after the abduction of 25 girls from a boarding school in Kebbi State, adding pressure on the government amid international scrutiny. U.S. President Donald Trump has also warned of potential military action over what he describes as persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

In response, President Bola Tinubu postponed a planned trip to South Africa and Angola for the G20 and AU-EU summits to receive security briefings on the two attacks. His office said he directed security agencies to pursue the assailants in Kwara and to “do everything possible” to rescue the abducted schoolgirls and bring them home safely, according to his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga.

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Reports indicate that the gunmen involved in the Eruku attack have demanded a N3 billion ransom for the release of their victims. Chief Olusegun Olukotun, a community leader and Olori Eta of Eruku, whose four relatives were among those kidnapped, confirmed that the bandits had begun contacting families.

Meloni expressed Italy’s solidarity with the victims and communities affected by these attacks, stressing the need for urgent action to protect religious freedom in Nigeria.