Two Nigerian Universities Face Lawsuit Over Ban on Christian Fellowships Since 2017

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Katsina State branch, alongside the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International, an American conservative Christian legal advocacy group, has taken legal action against two universities in Katsina State. The lawsuit alleges that these universities have violated religious freedom rights by indefinitely prohibiting Christian groups from conducting fellowship meetings and worship activities on their campuses.

The ADF International, in a statement issued on Monday, disclosed that the lawsuit targets the two public universities, one state and one federal, for imposing bans on Christian religious activities since 2017 and 2022 respectively, without lifting them. The statement further revealed that one of the universities enforced the ban by locking all worship and fellowship centers on campus, denying Christian students access to these facilities and prohibiting them from gathering elsewhere for religious purposes. Meanwhile, Muslim student groups at both universities continue to enjoy the privilege of holding worship and fellowship meetings in designated university spaces.

Despite Katsina being a Muslim-majority state, both universities have significant numbers of Christian students and faculty. One Christian student expressed their frustration, stating, “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.”

Sean Nelson, the lead attorney for ADF International on the case, condemned the discriminatory actions of the universities, emphasizing that no individual should face discrimination based on their faith. He urged the universities to revoke their discriminatory policies immediately and allow Christians to exercise their religious rights freely on campus.

CAN, representing the students in the lawsuits, denounced the universities’ discriminatory actions and called for global condemnation of religious discrimination. They stressed that government-run educational institutions should not discriminate based on religion and appealed for the restoration of the right to worship freely on campus and elsewhere.

The lawsuit, filed under the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, seeks to protect the religious freedom of Nigerian citizens. ADF International reaffirmed its support for the case.

In addition to the legal action against the universities, ADF International highlighted the severe persecution of Christians in Nigeria and the dangers posed by blasphemy laws in the country. They cited instances of violence against religious minorities and expressed support for individuals facing legal challenges due to blasphemy accusations, including Yahaya Sharif-Aminu and Rhoda Jatau.

Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, a Sufi Muslim sentenced to death for blasphemy, and Rhoda Jatau, a Christian mother of five imprisoned for sharing a video condemning religious violence, are both receiving legal assistance from ADF International in their respective cases.