U.S. Congress Authorizes Sanctions on Nigeria Over Christian Killings

The United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa has authorized former President Donald Trump to impose stringent sanctions on Nigeria due to the widespread killing of Christians in the country. This decision followed a congressional hearing on Wednesday, March 12, where lawmakers condemned the Nigerian government for failing to protect Christian communities from escalating violence.

The subcommittee cited a 2024 report by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa, which revealed that Nigerians accounted for 90% of all Christians killed worldwide annually. Between October 2019 and September 2023, the report documented 55,910 deaths and 21,000 abductions attributed to terrorist groups operating in Nigeria.

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Committee Chairman Chris Smith emphasized the severity of the crisis during the hearing, referencing testimony from Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of Makurdi Diocese, who described militant Fulani herdsmen as terrorists committing atrocities with impunity. Smith stated, “Make no mistake – these attacks are religiously motivated,” calling for accountability for what he termed “religious cleansing.”

Lawmakers criticized Nigeria’s judicial system for weaponizing blasphemy laws to suppress Christian communities and expressed frustration over the previous Biden administration’s removal of Nigeria from the Country of Particular Concern (CPC) list despite worsening religious persecution. Smith urged Trump to redesignate Nigeria as a CPC and engage directly with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to ensure better protection for Christian communities. He also reintroduced a resolution aimed at addressing these issues.