Nigeria is rapidly becoming one of the most dangerous places on Earth to follow Christ, US House Appropriations Committee said in an X post on Sunday, stressing that the US cannot ignore this crisis.

The X post comes on the heels of a recent joint briefing convened by members of the US House Appropriations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee has renewed scrutiny of Nigeria’s security response to ongoing violence affecting communities across several states.

The session, convened on 2 December and led by House Appropriations Vice Chair Mario Díaz-Balart, followed President Donald Trump’s directive of 31 October instructing the committee to investigate the killings and abductions occurring in parts of Nigeria and provide a report to the White House.

Lawmakers received briefings from security, foreign policy, and religious freedom experts who outlined recent incidents of large-scale attacks, including the abduction of 303 children and 12 teachers from St. Mary’s School in Niger State on 22 November, and separate attacks on worship centres in Kwara, Zamfara, and Katsina states.

Díaz-Balart said the committee would continue to examine how US policy tools could support stability efforts. “No one should live in fear because of how they worship,” he said. “I remain committed to advancing policies that protect the freedom to live according to one’s faith without fear of violence and retribution.”

Rep. Robert Aderholt said the pattern of attacks required closer attention from US lawmakers. “The rising violence and targeted persecution of Christians in Nigeria is a crisis that can’t be ignored,” he said, adding that Congress would provide the president with the information needed “to confront this growing tragedy.”

Rep. Riley Moore said concerns raised by witnesses showed the need for sustained oversight. “Our brothers and sisters in Christ are being persecuted and slaughtered in Nigeria simply for professing their faith,” he said.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast argued that the nature of the violence had often been mischaracterised. “This is not merely ‘inter-communal violence’ or a ‘resource conflict,’ as many claim. This is a targeted campaign of religious cleansing,” he said.

Africa Subcommittee Chairman Chris Smith said the frequency and scale of attacks pointed to systemic failures. “The Nigerian government has a fundamental, constitutional obligation to protect its citizens; however, the perpetrators of this persecution operate with complete impunity,” he said.

US Commission on International Religious Freedom Chair Vicky Hartzler told lawmakers that recent incidents showed an escalation. “Religious freedom in Nigeria has been under siege in 2025 and, unfortunately, it seems to be getting worse,” she said, noting that both Christians and Muslims have been victims of violent attacks.

Hartzler said the US government should work with Nigeria to “vastly improve its accountability and transparency,” and ensure security assistance is better targeted.

Alliance Defending Freedom International’s Sean Nelson described accounts from victims and communities his organisation has worked with. “Christians are defenseless against these religiously-motivated attacks, and the government has regularly failed to protect them,” he said.

Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow Ebenezer Obadare linked the situation to the threat posed by jihadist groups.

Obadare said, “The deadliest and most serious threat confronting the Nigerian state today is jihadist terror, perpetrated by the Islamist group Boko Haram. Boko Haram translates to ‘Western education is forbidden.’ Boko Haram’s barbarous and implacable campaign to overthrow the Nigerian state and establish an Islamic caliphate in its stead is the source of Nigeria’s present discontents. Every proposal to solve the Nigerian crisis that does not take seriously the need to radically degrade and ultimately eliminate Boko Haram as a fighting force is a non-starter.

“As recent events have shown, the Nigerian authorities are not impervious to incentives. Since the country’s Country of Particular Concern (CPC) designation and President Trump’s threat of unilateral military action against Boko Haram, President Tinubu has made several moves, including ordering air strikes against Boko Haram targets, the recruitment of an additional 30,000 policemen, and, most recently, declaring a national security emergency in the country. Washington must keep up the pressure.

The policy goal should be two-fold: first, work with the Nigerian military to neutralize Boko Haram.

Second, the United States should put pressure on President Tinubu to (1) make Sharia law unconstitutional in the twelve northern states where they have been adopted since 2000 and (2) disband the various Hisbah groups across northern states seeking to enforce and impose Islamic law on all citizens regardless of their religious identity.”

The House Appropriations Committee said it would continue to work with the Trump administration as it prepares a report on recommended US actions and policy responses. (The Guardian)

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