Nigeria and the United States may be set on warpath over claims of widespread killing of Christians in the West African countries.
On March 12, the US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, recommended sanctions on Nigeria in response to the alleged endless killings of Christians in the country.
The recommendation was sequel to a congressional hearing, where the lawmakers frowned at the Nigerian government for failing to protect Christian communities from increasing violence.
They made reference to the report of the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa released in 2024, which said Nigeria accounted for 90 per cent of Christians killed worldwide every year.
According to the report, a total of 55,910 people were killed between October 2019 and September 2023, while 21,000 others were abducted by terrorist groups operating in the region.
Chris Smith, the committee chair, made reference to the testimony of Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Diocese of Makurdi, Benue State, North Central Nigeria.
“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. Denying the 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 report said.
The committee flayed the Nigerian government for failing to address such violence in spite of the constitutional guarantee for religious freedom.
The subcommittee report said, “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.”
It blamed the immediate past Joe Biden administration for weakening US pressure on Nigeria by removing the country from the Country of Particular Concern (CPC) list.
Nigeria was included on the list during the last days of Trump’s first term in December 2020.
Smith said despite four consecutive years of recommendation by the Commission, the Biden administration refused to return Nigeria to the CPC list.
He said, “Under President Biden, Nigeria was removed from the CPC list, despite overwhelming evidence that religious persecution had worsened.
The committee chairman asked President Trump to act decisively, including reinstating Nigeria in the list and also engage President Bola Tinubu directly on the matter with a view to ensuring better protection of the Christian communities.
“I fully expect President Trump to re-designate 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 said.
Smith also urged the American government and the US Senate to be prepared to impose sanctions on Nigeria if the violence against Christians continues.
He said, “This hearing should serve as a catalyst for action – not just within the Congress but also with the Executive Branch.
“The new president (Trump) 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 killings remain.
Nigerian govt kicks
But, in a reaction, the Nigerian government denied the subcommittee’s report, blaming it on the work of fifth columnists, who want Nigeria re-designated as a CPC.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, on Friday 14 March in Abuja, acknowledged the country’s security challenges, but noted that they are not driven by religious bias or targeted against Christians.
“While the federal government acknowledges the security challenges confronting the nation, it is imperative to clarify that these negative activities are not driven by religious bias, not targeted against any particular religious group.
“It should be noted that the majority of incidents relating to insurgency and banditry that occur in the predominantly Muslim northern part of Nigeria are not targeted at followers of a particular faith or religion. Any narrative that seeks to give such incidents a colouration of religious persecution is erroneous and misleading,” the statement said.
The ministry also noted that “Nigeria is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation and the government remains committed to protecting the lives and properties of all citizens, irrespective of faith, ethnicity, or gender.
“The security issues in Nigeria are complex and multifaceted and manifest as criminality, terrorism and communal clashes – including farmer/herder confrontation, that do not have any religious connotation.”
It further stated that, “The government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu has taken significant steps to address these security concerns, including the deployment of security forces, intelligence gathering and community engagement initiatives.
“Indeed, the military has recorded substantial gains in curtailing the activities of bandits and insurgents. To bring an end to such security challenges, both the Federal and State authorities have embarked on kinetic and non-kinetic methods and expedited the implementation of the national livestock plan.
“To this end, a Ministry of Livestock Development has been established while a Special Adviser and Coordinator of Livestock Reforms, has been appointed to find sustainable solutions to pastoral farming with a view to end contestations over land, between farmers and pastoral herders.”
The ministry urged the international community to be cautious and verify information before reaching a conclusion or making statements that could increase tension in Nigeria.
“We call on all stakeholders, including the media, civil society organisations and foreign partners, to refrain from spreading unverified claims that could undermine national unity and stability.
“Nigeria remains a beacon of religious tolerance and co-existence in Africa and a committee to preserve this heritage.
“We welcome constructive dialogue and support from the international community in addressing our security challenges. However, we strongly reject any attempts to wrongly designate the country, distort the narrative, or sow seeds of discord among our people,” it said.
Nigeria’s designation as CPC
In December 2020, just before President Trump finished his first term in office, Nigeria was included in the CPC list following an indictment by the United States Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
However, on November 17, 2021, the succeeding Biden administration removed Nigeria from the list. The country was not returned to the status despite repeated recommendations of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Few weeks before Nigeria was listed, President Trump had accused Nigeria’s former leader, Muhammadu Buhari, of killing the Christians.
In July 2022, five American senators demanded the return of Nigeria to the list because of what they described as the declining state of religious freedom in the country.
The senators, all Republican, are Josh Hawley (Missouri), Marco Rubio (Florida), Mike Brawn (Indiana), Tom Cotton (Arkansa) and James Inhofe (Oklahoma).
Mr Rubio is currently the Secretary of State.
In November, 2022, over 32,000 people reportedly petitioned the US Government requesting it to return Nigeria to the list of countries with religious freedom violators.
Previous reports of killings by groups
Various reports have over the years listed Nigeria as a country where it is difficult to be a Christian.
Earlier this year, a US-based Christian Watchdog, ranked Nigeria 7th among 50 countries of the world where Christians are most persecuted.
In February 2024, a group, International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) said in its report that no fewer than 8,222 Christians were killed and another 8,400 were abducted in Nigeria between January 2023 and January 2024.
In August 2024, another group, Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA) in a 136-page report, said over 16,000 Nigerian Christians were killed between 2019 and 2013.