by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - As Nigeria’s government turns a blind eye to the slaughter of tens of thousands of the nation's Christians by Islamic jihadists, authorities in Katsina state are being sued for banning Christian groups from meeting and worshiping on two university campuses, Premier Christian News (PCN) reports.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has filed suit against two Katsina’s two public colleges after authorities “indefinitely prohibited” Christian worship and meetings on their premises, PCN reports. Muslim students at both schools have been allowed to continue exercising their faith on campus.
One Christian university student in Katsina said in a statement to PCN: “We only want to be able to freely gather and worship as Christians on equal terms with other religious faiths. It is wrong that our universities are preventing us from exercising our most basic, fundamental rights.”
CAN is represented by attorney Sean Nelson of Alliance Defending Freedom International. Asserting that the actions by the universities are “unjust," Nelson said in a statement: “The world continues to watch as Nigerian authorities regularly violate the religious freedom rights of their citizens.This kind of discrimination against Christian students cannot be allowed to spread.”
“These two universities should immediately revoke these discriminatory policies and allow Christians on their campuses to gather and worship freely,” Nelson said.
Ruled by an Islamic government, Nigeria ranks six on Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.