Condemn violence in Nigeria
Petitioners ask Canada to condemn violence in Nigeria, press Nigeria to protect and investigate, expedite humanitarian aid and refuge including Canadians' family, and consider targeted sanctions. The government responds it condemns abuses and aids victims.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would push Canada to demand accountability and investigations, which could better protect civilians and document abuses.
- It would increase humanitarian relief and speed resettlement pathways, offering practical safety and family reunification for affected people.
- It would enable targeted sanctions and diplomatic pressure to deter perpetrators and support international justice efforts.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Diplomatic condemnation and pressure could strain Canada–Nigeria relations and impede on-the-ground cooperation.
- Sanctions and external pressure might be ineffective or provoke backlash that worsens local insecurity.
- Expediting refuge and resettlement raises practical challenges of capacity, screening, and resource trade-offs with other priorities.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the House of Commons of Canada To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Commons in Parliament assembled: We, the undersigned, respectfully request that the House of Commons call on the Government of Canada to: 1. Publicly condemn targeted and widespread violence against Christian communities and other civilians in Nigeria; 2. Urge the Government of Nigeria and relevant authorities to take immediate, effective measures to protect vulnerable communities and to investigate alleged atrocities; 3. Increase diplomatic pressure and support for independent, transparent investigations into patterns of violence; 4. Provide additional humanitarian assistance and expedite refuge and resettlement pathways for affected civilians, including Canadians with family ties; and 5. Consider targeted sanctions against individuals credibly implicated in orchestrating or enabling mass violence, in accordance with Canadian law and international human-rights standards. Background: Numerous reports from civil-society groups, faith-based organizations, and media outlets indicate escalating attacks, kidnappings, and killings affecting Christian and other communities in parts of Nigeria. These incidents have had devastating humanitarian consequences, including mass displacements, loss of life, destruction of property and places of worship, and acute insecurity for vulnerable populations. Concerned Canadians seek urgent and coordinated international action to protect civilians, uphold human rights, and support peaceful coexistence in Nigeria.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Signed by Rob Oliphant The Government of Canada recognizes that violence and insecurity remain a significant challenge in Nigeria and impact all segments of its population. The situation in Nigeria is complex, with violence rooted in a range of factors, including religion, ethnic tensions, conflicts over land and resources, socio-economic factors, and governance issues. The Government of Canada condemns human rights violations and opposes all religious hatred, discrimination, and xenophobia wherever it occurs. On November 27, 2025, the Minister of Foreign Affairs condemned violence affecting faith and belief communities worldwide, including Christians in Nigeria, at the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. The Government of Canada remains firmly committed to promoting and protecting human rights, including freedom of religion or belief. The Government of Canada conducts human rights advocacy on a regular basis through private, public, and multilateral channels. This includes policy dialogue with the Nigerian government, coordination with likeminded partners, support to civil society organizations, strengthening of international norms and standards around freedom of religion or belief, as well as the issuance of public statements, conducted through an approach that is both strategic and constructive. Senior Canadian officials and the Minister of Foreign Affairs discussed with their counterparts how to address urgent security issues in 2025. Canada continues to support the Government of Nigeria in its efforts to combat terrorism and violence against civilian populations, including Christians. Through its peace and security, development and humanitarian programming, the Government of Canada is collaborating with Nigeria and with other partners to address the root causes of violence and its broader underlying drivers, as well as to mitigate threats, such as terrorism and its repercussions on the civilian population. Since 2020-2021, Canada has invested over $24.2 million in West and Central Africa through its Counter-Terrorism Capacity Building Program to address the root causes of violent extremism, strengthen resilience against radicalization, and support judicial capacity to prosecute terrorism, including in Nigeria. Canada, though its Peace and Stabilization Operations Program is supporting projects in Nigeria (approximately $2 million) to reduce the flow of small arms and light weapons in the northwest region, to conduct research on reintegration of those formerly associated with armed groups, and to support the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda in the country. Since 2014, Canada has allocated $9.5 million under its Weapons Threat Reduction Program to counter chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear proliferation and terrorism threats in Nigeria. The High Commission of Canada in Nigeria also provides direct funding to local civil society organizations to support human rights programming through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives. The Government of Canada continues to call on the Nigerian authorities to bring those responsible for human right violations and abuses to justice and ensure transparency. During Nigeria’s 2024 Universal Periodic Review before the United Nations Human Rights Council, Canada notably recommended that Nigeria investigate allegations of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity committed by the Nigerian military, Boko Haram, and other armed groups, and bring the perpetrators to justice. Canada also recommended that Nigeria assign human and financial resources to the institutions responsible for implementing the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act of 2015. The High Commission of Canada in Nigeria also engages regularly with the National Human Rights Commission in Nigeria to discuss human rights and support the Commission’s efforts to advocate for human rights and investigate complaints of human rights abuses submitted by citizens. The Government of Canada recognizes that certain conditions negatively exacerbate the security context in the country. To address some of the root causes of insecurity and alleviate poverty in Nigeria, Canada’s bilateral development programming is creating employment opportunities for youth and women, building governance capacity and supporting community resilience, while addressing urgent needs related to climate adaptation and livelihoods through strengthened sustainable food systems and training in shock-responsive agriculture. In 2023-2024, Canada invested $16.5 million through bilateral development programming to reduce extreme poverty, build community resilience and create employment opportunities, thus addressing some of the main drivers of insecurity. Canada’s humanitarian assistance in Nigeria, delivered through experienced humanitarian partners, includes the provision of emergency food and nutrition assistance, essential health and protection services, and water, sanitation and hygiene support. In 2023-2024, Canada provided $13.7 million in humanitarian aid to provide urgent life-saving assistance to crisis-affected populations in the country. Canada continues to monitor the situation closely. Canada is party to both the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, which establish international protection for refugees grounded in the fundamental principle of non-refoulement. Consistent with our international obligations, Canada is committed to strengthening and protecting the integrity of its asylum and refugee protection system to ensure a fast, fair, and final process for the growing number of individuals seeking asylum in Canada. All individuals who request refugee protection in Canada are subject to a due process and are afforded the opportunity to make their case for needing Canada’s protection. The Government of Canada remains strongly committed to its humanitarian objectives by resettling refugees and its international obligations by granting asylum to persons in need of protection, including individuals persecuted based on their race, religion, nationality, affiliation to a social group or political beliefs, and individuals facing risk to their life or risk of cruel and unusual treatment/punishment. Canada remains committed upholding a fair, compassionate and sustainable refugee protection system and to aiding those in need of protection. Moreover, the Government of Canada recognizes family reunification as an important pillar of its immigration policy. The Government of Canada also maintains its humanitarian tradition through the development and implementation of policies, programs and services that facilitate the arrival and integration of resettled refugees into Canada. Sanctions are a key foreign policy tool employed judiciously by Canada. By imposing sanctions, Canada sends a clear signal that policies and behaviours that violate international rules, norms and conduct will not be tolerated. Canada uses its sanctions as a discretionary tool in response to breaches of international norms. Specifically, Canada can enact sanctions in response to grave breaches of international peace and security, human rights violations, and corruption. To that end, Canada maintains a rigorous due diligence process to evaluate possible cases of human rights violations, corruption, or other circumstances that may warrant use of sanctions. Canada also considers the broader political and international contexts when deciding whether sanctions or any other tools in Canada’s foreign policy toolbox may be an appropriate response. Canada will continue to deploy sanctions judiciously and remains committed to their effective and coordinated use and enforcement, when appropriate. Canada listed Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa as terrorist organizations under its Criminal Code in 2013 and 2021. Terrorist listing is a key tool in combatting terrorism, and it demonstrates that the Government of Canada will not tolerate such acts of violence. A listing carries significant consequences that enable the application of appropriate measures set out in the Criminal Code to deter terrorist activity in Canada, or support from Canada.