US Lawmakers Urge Trump to Sanction Nigeria Over Christian Persecution
The United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa has granted President Donald Trump the authority to impose severe sanctions on Nigeria in response to escalating attacks on Christians in the West African nation.
According to a report from the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa, between October 2019 and September 2023, approximately 55,910 people were killed, with 21,000 abducted in terror-related incidents.
“These are terrorists,” said Representative Chris Smith, Chairman of the subcommittee. “They steal, they destroy, they kill, and they boast about their actions. Yet, no meaningful action has been taken against them by the government.” ¹
Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Diocese of Makurdi, Nigeria, testified before the committee, providing firsthand accounts of the violence targeting Christian communities.
The subcommittee’s report accused the Nigerian government of failing to protect its Christian population despite constitutional guarantees of religious freedom.
“The Nigerian government has not made sufficient progress in addressing religiously motivated violence,” the report stated. “There are glaring contradictions in the legal framework that undermine religious pluralism.” ¹
Representative Smith criticized the previous administration under President Joe Biden for removing Nigeria from the US list of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC), a designation intended to hold nations accountable for severe violations of religious freedom.
Smith stressed the need for Trump to reinstate Nigeria’s CPC status and engage directly with President Bola Tinubu to address the crisis. He further urged Congress and the Trump administration to prepare for sanctions if the Nigerian government does not take immediate action to curb the violence.
“I have reintroduced a resolution to ensure that this issue receives the attention it deserves,” Smith stated. “If necessary, we must be ready to impose sanctions because where pressure is applied, change happens. Without it, the cycle of violence will continue.
Nina Shea, Senior Scholar and Director of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom, also testified before the subcommittee, highlighting the alarming rise in violent attacks against Christian farming communities by militant Fulani herders.
“Nigeria is the deadliest place in the world for Christians,” Shea said, citing reports from human rights groups.