Laraba MUREY
A group of human rights defenders and legal practitioners have been equipped with essential skills to address religious violations across Nigeria, as part of efforts towards the protection and promotion of religious freedom in the country.
The initiative funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and organized by a non-profit organization, Search for Common Ground, focuses on empowering individuals to promote, protect, and raise awareness of freedom of religion and belief.
Project manager, Search for Common Ground Nigeria, Daniel Ogabiela, disclosed this during a 3-day training on “Human Rights Law in Response Freedom Violations” In Abuja.
According to the project manager, the primary goal is to address the prevalent issue of religious freedom violations in Nigeria. He emphasized that although such violations are widespread, public awareness remains low, leading to underreporting.
He said, “Our focus is on creating widespread awareness of these issues so that more incidents are reported. We believe that by doing so, we can ensure that the necessary mechanisms are in place to address these violations promptly when they occur.”
He noted that the government is already taking steps to address these issues as enshrined in the constitution, which reflects the government’s awareness of potential violations in this domain.
In his words, “The government has established institutions such as the National Human Rights Commission and the Legal Aid Council to protect people’s freedom of religion.
“However, our training aims to enhance their capabilities. While they are already doing valuable work, there’s always room for improvement. We want to sharpen their skills to ensure even more effective protection.”
After the three-day training, the focus shifts to post-training implementation. The project plans to work in coordination with government agencies and stakeholders to identify and address reported violations promptly.
The goal is to bridge the gap between reported violations and effective resolution, as often, victims lack the means to seek justice or the existing systems are ill-equipped to address these violations effectively.
“Search will coordinate with various stakeholders to identify and address reported violations. Violations occur daily, but often, those affected lack the means to seek justice, or the existing systems are not adequately equipped to handle these cases,”he said.
Also speaking, Executive Director, CHELD, Prof. Cheluchi Oyemelukwe, said the idea is to have human rights defenders throughout this country, that are really focused on this right of persons violated.
she added, “If we can begin to look at it as a situation where we can have conversations, we can agree that we all have faith, and you know, there might be a few people who don’t have faith, but all of us need to be protected in one way or the other. I think that we can begin to make progress.”
Also speaking, participant and National President Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria, Kazzim Olaniyo, noted that both legal practitioners and religious leaders should actively engage in sensitizing and educating their communities to prevent religious conflicts and uphold freedom of religion. The collaboration between these groups and government efforts is vital in safeguarding these rights.
“Legal practitioners and judicial officers benefit from this training, enhancing our capacity to ensure justice in cases involving religious diversity and domestic violence. We must educate and sensitize our followers to promote tolerance and respect for all religions, as enshrined in the Constitution,” he said.
On his part, Justice Buhari Yahaya, who underscored the significance of the training, called for collaborative efforts between legal practitioners, religious leaders, and government to safeguard religious freedom and prevent conflicts based on religion.