The United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa has given President Donald Trump the green light to impose stringent sanctions on Nigeria in response to the widespread killing of Christians in the country.
The decision followed a congressional hearing on Wednesday, during which lawmakers condemned the Nigerian government for failing to protect Christian communities from escalating violence.
The committee also cited a 2024 report by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa, which revealed that Nigerians accounted for 90 per cent of all Christians killed worldwide each year.
The report documented that between October 2019 and September 2023, a staggering 55,910 people were killed, while 21,000 others were abducted by terrorist groups operating in the region.
During the hearing, Committee Chairman Chris Smith, who highlighted the severity of the crisis, pointed to testimony from Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Diocese of Makurdi, Nigeria, as a viable witness.
He said: “One of our distinguished witnesses today—Bishop Wilfred Anagbe—travelled a long distance to be with us, and his testimony is both compelling and disturbing.
“Militant Fulani herdsmen are terrorists. They steal and vandalise, they kill and boast about it, they kidnap and rape, and they enjoy total impunity from elected officials. None of them have been arrested or brought to justice.”
“Make no mistake – these attacks are religiously motivated,” the report stated, adding: “Denying this reality contradicts the overwhelming evidence we have seen with our own eyes. This ‘religious cleansing’ must stop, and those responsible must be held accountable.”
The congressional panel strongly criticised the Nigerian government for failing to address religiously motivated violence, despite constitutional protections for religious freedom.
Expressing concern that the Nigeria’s judicial system had been weaponised to suppress Christian communities, the lawmakers cited cases where blasphemy laws have been used to target religious minorities.
“The Government of Nigeria has made little progress in addressing the persecution of Christians, even though religious freedom is enshrined as a fundamental human right in its Constitution.
“While Nigeria’s legal framework ostensibly supports religious pluralism at both federal and state levels, glaring contradictions persist—particularly in laws that criminalise blasphemy, some of which even carry the death penalty,” the subcommittee’s report stated.
Blaming the previous administration of President Joe Biden for weakening U.S. pressure on Nigeria by removing the country from the Country of Particular Concern (CPC) list, Smith said the designation was originally applied during President Trump’s first term.
He noted that despite four consecutive years of recommendations from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (2021–2024), the Biden administration had failed to reinstate Nigeria’s CPC status.
“Under President Biden, Nigeria was removed from the CPC list, despite overwhelming evidence that religious persecution had worsened. This decision ignored the repeated recommendations of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom,” he said.
He called on President Trump to take decisive action, including restoring Nigeria’s CPC designation and engaging directly with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to ensure better protection for Christian communities.
“I fully expect President Trump to redesignate Nigeria as a CPC and to take additional steps to support the persecuted church. Last night, I reintroduced a resolution on this issue, and I hope we will have a robust discussion that leads to real action,” he added.
He also urged the Trump administration and the U.S. Senate to be prepared to impose sanctions on Nigeria if the violence against Christians continues.
“This hearing should serve as a catalyst for action—not just within Congress but also within the Executive Branch,” he added.
“The new president has a responsibility to act, and I believe he will. If necessary, sanctions must be imposed. When they have been used in the past, they have brought change. Where there are no consequences, the killing fields remain.”
Nigerian Government rejects US resolution
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under the leadership of Ambassador Yusuf M. Tuggar, has refuted claims of targeted killings of Christians in Nigeria, describing these allegations as misleading and aimed at influencing foreign governments, particularly the United States, to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).
In a press statement issued on Friday, March 14, and signed by the acting spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, the ministry stated, “While the Federal Government acknowledges the security challenges in the country, these incidents are not religiously motivated or targeted at any particular faith group.”
The ministry further emphasized that insurgency and banditry, particularly in the predominantly Muslim northern region of Nigeria, are not directed at any specific religious community.
The statement comes amid ongoing reports from the US Congress, which have expressed concerns about religious freedom in Nigeria, leading to the country’s previous designation as a CPC. However, the Nigerian government has consistently rejected these claims, asserting that the security challenges are multifaceted and not rooted in religious persecution.
“Nigeria is a multiethnic and multireligious nation with a long history of peaceful coexistence between people of different faiths,” the ministry reiterated, reaffirming the government’s commitment to safeguarding all citizens, regardless of religion, ethnicity, or gender.
The statement clarified that the ongoing security challenges in the country stem from criminality, terrorism, and communal clashes—particularly those between farmers and herders. These issues have been worsened by factors such as climate change, population growth, and competition over land resources, but do not amount to systematic religious persecution.
The ministry outlined the steps taken by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to address the country’s security concerns, which include deploying security forces to conflict-prone areas, enhancing intelligence gathering, and fostering cooperation between various security agencies.
Additionally, the government highlighted community engagement initiatives designed to foster peace and reconciliation across Nigeria.
“While noting the progress made in curbing banditry and insurgency, recent military operations have significantly weakened criminal groups,” the statement stated. It also highlighted the government’s approach of combining kinetic and non-kinetic measures—military action alongside dialogue and economic reforms—to address the root causes of insecurity.
The Nigerian government is also focusing on long-term efforts to resolve conflicts related to land use. In this regard, it has established a Ministry of Livestock Development and appointed a Special Adviser and Coordinator on Livestock Reforms to oversee sustainable solutions for pastoral farming, a move aimed at reducing land disputes between farmers and herders.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the international community to verify information before making statements that could escalate tensions within Nigeria. It also called on the media, civil society organizations, and foreign partners to refrain from spreading unverified claims that could undermine the country’s unity and stability.
“Nigeria remains a beacon of religious tolerance and coexistence in Africa and is committed to preserving this heritage,” the statement concluded.
The ministry reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to freedom of religion and interfaith harmony, stressing that while the government welcomes constructive dialogue and international support in addressing security challenges, it rejects any attempts to misrepresent the situation, distort narratives, or sow division among Nigerians.
