The United States Congress has outlined a series of measures it says are needed to tackle the growing persecution of Christians and wider insecurity in Nigeria. Lawmakers recommended reforms in security, justice, financial oversight and foreign policy as part of a broader strategy.
The proposals follow a report prepared for President Donald Trump by a congressional panel he set up to investigate the situation of Christians in Nigeria. Congress urged the president to formally classify Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, name and shame perpetrators of attacks, impose sanctions on them and keep enforcing visa bans.
The report describes Nigeria as one of the deadliest places in the world to be a Christian and cites years of violent attacks, killings, kidnappings and the destruction of churches and schools by armed groups, including Fulani militias and terrorist organisations. Lawmakers said blasphemy and Sharia based codes in some northern states are being used to silence dissent and target religious minorities without fair trials.
They called on Washington to press for the repeal of blasphemy and Sharia codes used in this way, to help protect free expression and minority rights. The recommendations also ask the US to work with allies to disrupt extremist financing, allow at risk farmers to defend themselves legitimately and push for disarming militias, including through pressure such as restrictions on beef exports linked to armed groups.
On defence, Congress urged Nigeria to move away from Russian weapons and increase purchases of US military equipment, while the US should deepen security cooperation with Abuja. The report also calls for action to counter what it describes as destabilising Chinese influence, including alleged illegal mining and the payment of protection money to militias.
Lawmakers want a detailed US Government Accountability Office audit to check how aid to Nigeria is used and to ensure that funds are effective, transparent and accountable. They further advised that some US financial assistance should be withheld until Nigeria shows clear steps to reduce attacks on Christians and other civilians.
The package includes a proposed bilateral agreement between both countries to protect vulnerable Christian communities, fight jihadist groups, expand economic cooperation and counter rival powers such as China and Russia in the region. It also urges Nigeria to co fund humanitarian aid, strengthen early warning systems, deploy effective security forces in hotspots and support displaced communities to return home safely.
Lead sponsor Rep Riley M Moore said after a White House meeting that the report offers concrete steps to hold perpetrators accountable, counter radical Islamist terrorism and support the Nigerian government in restoring security. He said his team drew on hearings, expert testimony, visits to displacement camps and talks with Nigerian officials and religious leaders.
Moore added that Christians in Nigeria have “suffered in silence for too long” and called on the Nigerian government to use this moment to deepen ties with the US in the interest of both nations.
Responding, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the government has studied the report but rejected any suggestion that Nigeria has a policy of religious persecution. He stressed that the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and equal protection for all citizens, and that current violence is driven by terrorism, organised crime and long standing communal disputes, not state backed bias.
Idris said the government is intensifying military and law enforcement operations, improving intelligence sharing and early warning, and stepping up patrols and clearance missions in forest areas used by criminals. He added that new forest guards are being deployed and more resources invested in equipment, mobility and technology for security agencies.
He also highlighted ongoing humanitarian support for internally displaced people and programmes to help communities return home and rebuild peacefully. The minister said Nigeria will continue to engage with international partners through diplomatic channels while focusing on its duty to protect all citizens.
The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, warned that foreign pressure to scrap Sharia and blasphemy laws could heighten religious tensions if not handled carefully. A senior CAN official said the process of amending the Constitution is delicate and that poorly managed changes could destabilise the country.
CAN officials said some Muslim clerics at recent interfaith meetings argued that Sharia is a way of life and culture in certain northern communities and cannot simply be removed. The Christian body believes the debate must be managed with wisdom because religion is highly sensitive and extremists exist in all faiths.
Rather than focusing only on repealing Sharia provisions, CAN repeated its call for a new, people driven constitution that fairly reflects Nigeria’s religious, ethnic and minority interests. It insists no one should be allowed to hide under Sharia to commit abuses but says other faith based legal systems, such as canon law, should also be recognised and protected where Sharia is in place.
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