U.S. Lawmakers Urge Trump to Sanction Nigeria Over Rising Christian Persecution

The United States House of Representatives has urged former President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Nigeria over the ongoing killings of Christians and religious minorities.

During a congressional hearing titled Conflict and Persecution in Nigeria: The Case for a CPC Designation, lawmakers and policy experts detailed the alarming scale of religious violence in Nigeria, primarily carried out by Islamist extremists.

Lawmakers Slam Biden’s Administration for Policy Reversal

Legislators also criticized President Joe Biden’s administration for removing Nigeria from the list of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC)—a designation given to nations that fail to protect religious freedoms.

“In December 2020, President Trump designated Nigeria a CPC, only for Secretary Blinken to reverse it in November 2021 without justification,” said Rep. Chris Smith, who authored the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act. “Religious leaders in Nigeria were outraged by this decision.”

Smith further condemned the Nigerian government, accusing it of failing to protect Christians despite constitutional guarantees of religious freedom.

“The government of Nigeria has failed to make progress against religiously motivated persecution of Christians,” he said.

Shocking Statistics: Over 52,000 Christians Killed

Citing reports from Genocide Watch, Smith highlighted the devastating toll of religious violence in Nigeria.

• Over 52,000 Christians have reportedly been murdered by Islamist extremists since 2009.
• Around 34,000 moderate non-Fulani Muslims have also been killed.
• An estimated five million Nigerians—mostly Christians—have been displaced, now living in refugee settlements or IDP camps.

Religious Leaders and Experts Weigh In

Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Diocese of Makurdi testified that a long-term effort to erase Christian identity in Nigeria is underway.

“A long-term Islamic agenda has been implemented across several presidencies,” he said. “This strategy involves mass killings, abductions, rapes, and land seizures by Fulani herders—yet the government does nothing.”

Nina Shea, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, reinforced these claims, calling Nigeria the world’s deadliest country for Christians.

“Militant Fulani Muslim herders are now the biggest threat to Christians, especially in farming communities in the Middle Belt,” Shea stated.

Tony Perkins, former Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, accused Western media of downplaying the crisis.

“Many Western news outlets continue to overlook the escalating violence,” he testified. “Every week, Christians are being murdered, raped, and kidnapped, yet this bloodshed is ignored.”

Will Trump Reinstate Nigeria’s CPC Status?

With growing pressure from U.S. lawmakers and religious groups, attention now turns to whether Trump will redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern and impose sanctions to address the crisis.

Rep. Smith, who had previously introduced a resolution urging Biden to reinstate Nigeria’s CPC status, has reintroduced it as H. Res. 220, hoping for swift action.

“Help can’t come fast enough,” he emphasized.

The outcome of this renewed push could have significant implications for Nigeria’s international relations and efforts to combat religious violence.