Washington – The United States Congress on Tuesday continued its investigation into alleged religious persecution in Nigeria, with a majority of lawmakers asserting that Christians are being specifically targeted in the violence sweeping the West African nation. The hearing, convened by the House Appropriations Committee following President Donald Trump’s October 31 directive to probe the “slaughter” of Christians in Nigeria, featured testimony from senior officials and experts who described a pattern of mass abductions, blasphemy imprisonments and deadly attacks on Christian communities.
Appropriations Vice Chair Mario Díaz‑Balart led the joint House session, which was prompted by Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC). During the hearing, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations Dr. Ebenezer Obadare warned that Sharia‑based governance and the Hisbah religious‑police units have become “ideological and operational cover” for jihadist groups such as Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and radicalised Fulani militias. “The United States should work with the Nigerian military to neutralise Boko Haram, and then pressure President Tinubu to make Sharia law unconstitutional in the twelve northern states and disband the Hisbah groups enforcing Islamic law on all citizens regardless of religion,” Obadare told lawmakers.
Obadare acknowledged that Nigeria has taken some steps after the CPC designation, including new airstrikes against Boko Haram, the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers and a declaration of a national security emergency. However, he urged Washington to “keep up the pressure,” arguing that the Nigerian state is failing to prosecute perpetrators and, in some cases, enabling what he called “religious cleansing.”
Lawmakers cited recent atrocities, such as the November 22 abduction of pupils and teachers from St Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State and a deadly assault on a church in Kwara State, as evidence of the escalating crisis. Rep. Chris Smith described Nigeria as “ground zero for global anti‑Christian persecution,” while Rep. Brian Mast demanded immediate disarmament of militias and prosecution of attackers. Representatives from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and Alliance Defending Freedom International urged the United States to impose conditionality on security assistance and apply targeted sanctions to compel accountability.
Both Republican and Democratic members expressed support for Díaz‑Balart’s FY26 appropriations proposals aimed at addressing the crisis. A formal report is being drafted for President Trump that may recommend restrictions on U.S. aid should Nigerian authorities fail to act. Nigeria was first designated a CPC in 2020 under Trump, a status reversed by President Biden before being reinstated on October 31, alongside a warning of possible military action if Abuja does not curb extremist violence.
The hearing underscored a growing consensus in Washington that dismantling Sharia criminal codes and eliminating Hisbah religious police are central to tackling what U.S. legislators describe as one of the world’s most severe and underreported religious‑freedom crises. Lawmakers vowed to stand firmly with Nigeria’s Christian communities as the debate over U.S. policy toward the country continues.
