Emma Thompson and Annie Lennox back campaign against political violence and unrest in Nigeria

Dame Emma Thompson and Annie Lennox are among the big names calling on UK ministers to hold Nigeria’s government to account over escalating violence and unrest in its northern region .

Actor Kate Henshaw, politicians Simon Woolley and Sayeeda Warsi, writer Nels Abbey, campaigner Femi Oluwole, and activist Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu have launched the ‘Stop Nigeria Genocide’ campaign in response to ongoing violence driven by factors including religiously motivated ideology and political and economic unrest .

This comes as Nigeria marked its 64th anniversary of independence from Britain on Tuesday – the same day the campaign was unveiled.

A statement from the campaign group read: “The violence in Nigeria increasingly resembles a pattern of religiously motivated genocide, with systematic attacks on Christian communities in north-central Nigeria.

“Ongoing terrorism in Muslim communities from northwest to the northeast, along with widespread insecurity in the southeast and south-south regions, has resulted in nearly 20,000 deaths between 2020 and 2023.”

In addition to killings, there have been more than 1,200 people abducted in 2024 so far, the statement added.

It continued: “Women and children are among the victims, with the destruction of homes, schools, and places of worship causing mass displacement, millions of children out of school and a devastating humanitarian crisis.”

Nigerian president Bola Tinubu was elected in 2023 after promising to end the violence, but his government has been criticised for failing to do so while presiding over an economy which has recently seen inflation soar to heights not seen in decades, as well as an upsurge in the cost of living.

But the leader recently declared Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, was “winning the war” on the violence that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

More than 82 per cent of Christians killed across the globe for faith reasons were in Nigeria, according to Open Doors International .

In a speech delivered on Tuesday, President Tinubu said: “I am deeply aware of the struggles many of you face in these challenging times.

“I plead for your patience as the reforms we are implementing show positive signs, and we are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel.”

Speaking to The Independent, Femi Oluwole, who is also backing the campaign, took aim at the Nigerian government’s “lack of political will to end this crisis” which he claimed is evident.

Protests took place in Nigeria this week as the nation celebrated its independence from Britain, with citizens denouncing the government’s handling of the country.

“Nigeria's independence from British rule was a necessary but insufficient step,” Mr Oluwole said.

“The UK has been running its own affairs for a lot longer than 64 years and we still have corruption scandals every other week.

“Nigeria needs better legal safeguards to ensure its governments prioritise the security and prosperity of its people.”

The UK government recently renewed the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership (SDP), which was described as “a pillar of our strategic partnership with Nigeria”, during the launch of the UK government’s Integrated Security Fund.

This scheme sees taxpayer money allocated towards security programmes in Africa, highlighting the obligation for greater accountability from the Nigerian government, the campaign group argues.

The SDP covers areas such as “countering terrorism and violent extremism” and “policing and civil-military cooperation”, though this does not appear to have reduced violence in Nigeria.

When asked why members of the British public should be concerned about the state of affairs in Nigeria, Mr Oluwole said: “The British public is tired of constantly debating what to do about the refugees who flee countries where UK foreign policy has failed to prioritise human rights.

“We’ve seen it with Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, most recently Gaza. Nigeria is a chance to learn those lessons.”

Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, a lead activist for the campaign, said: “The ongoing security crisis in Nigeria poses a significant risk to regional and global security. The lives, liberties and livelihoods of the people of the most populous country in Africa are haemorrhaging in plain sight. The time to stop it is now.”

The UK government has been approached for comment.