Amid rising concerns over religious persecution, U.S. lawmakers are taking decisive action to address the ongoing violence against Christians in Nigeria. In a significant move, the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa has approved measures clearing President Donald Trump to impose stringent sanctions on the Nigerian government over its failure to curb attacks on Christian communities.
Chairman of the Subcommittee, Rep. Chris Smith, highlighted the dire situation during Wednesday’s hearing, referencing testimony from Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of Makurdi Diocese. “Militant Fulani herdsmen are terrorists. They steal, vandalize, kill, and boast about it. They kidnap and rape, yet they enjoy total impunity from elected officials,” Smith stated.
According to a 2024 report from the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa, Nigerians account for 90% of Christians killed globally each year. The report documented 55,910 fatalities between October 2019 and September 2023, with 21,000 individuals abducted by terror groups.
The subcommittee denounced the Nigerian government’s inaction, noting that despite constitutional protections for religious freedom, Christians continue to face systemic persecution. “This ‘religious cleansing’ must stop, and perpetrators must be brought to justice,” the report stated.
Lawmakers criticized the previous Biden administration for removing Nigeria’s designation as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC), a classification originally implemented during Trump’s first term. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom had repeatedly recommended reinstating Nigeria’s CPC status from 2021 to 2024.
Rep. Smith urged Trump to prioritize Nigeria’s Christian community by reinstating the CPC designation and engaging directly with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu. “I strongly believe that President Trump will redesignate Nigeria as a CPC and take further steps to assist the persecuted church,” Smith affirmed. He also called on the U.S. Senate to support potential sanctions should violence against Christians persist.
Report has it that in 2023 alone, 5,500 Christians were killed in Nigeria for their faith, accounting for 90% of religiously motivated killings worldwide. Furthermore, Intersociety, a Nigeria-based NGO, estimated that 52,250 Christians have been killed in the country over the past 14 years.
Despite Nigeria’s constitutional guarantees of religious freedom, Christian communities remain under siege. Megan Meador from Alliance Defending Freedom noted instances where Christians have been tried in Sharia courts for offenses such as apostasy, despite such charges lacking legal grounds under Nigerian law.
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The ICC continues to advocate for Nigeria’s resignation as a CPC, citing ongoing threats at individual, community, and governmental levels. With approximately 108.3 million Christians—nearly half of the country’s population—Nigerian Christians remain among the most vulnerable religious groups worldwide.
As global advocacy intensifies, the U.S. government faces increasing pressure to act decisively in addressing religious persecution in Nigeria.
