U.S. lawmakers urge sanctions on Nigeria over christian killings
The United States House of Representatives has called on President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Nigeria over the continued persecution and killings of Christians in the country. The demand was made during a congressional hearing on religious violence in Nigeria, where lawmakers and experts detailed the escalating attacks against Christian communities and other religious minorities.
During the session, legislators highlighted the persistent assaults by Islamist extremists, which have led to thousands of deaths and mass displacement. The hearing focused on the Nigerian government’s failure to curb religiously motivated violence, with lawmakers calling for decisive U.S. action.
A key point of contention was the Biden administration’s 2021 decision to remove Nigeria from the list of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC), a designation reserved for nations with severe violations of religious freedoms. Critics argue that the move was unjustified, given the worsening violence in Nigeria.
Representative Chris Smith, a leading advocate for religious freedom, criticized the decision, stating that President Trump had designated Nigeria as a CPC in December 2020, only for Secretary Blinken to reverse it in November 2021 without justification. Smith said religious leaders in Nigeria were outraged by the move.
Smith, who authored the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, accused the Nigerian government of failing to protect its Christian population despite constitutional guarantees of religious freedom. He said the government had made no progress in addressing religiously motivated persecution.
Citing data from Genocide Watch, Smith described Nigeria as “a killing field of defenseless Christians.” He reported that over 52,000 Christians had been killed by Islamist extremists, while approximately 34,000 moderate non-Fulani Muslims had also been murdered since 2009. He added that five million Nigerians, mostly Christians, had been forced into Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps and refugee settlements.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee had previously passed Smith’s resolution, H. Res. 82, urging the Biden administration to redesignate Nigeria as a CPC. However, the resolution never made it to the House floor for a vote. On March 11, 2025, Smith reintroduced the measure as H. Res. 220, reaffirming his call for action.
Smith expressed confidence that President Trump would again designate Nigeria as a CPC and take further steps to support persecuted Christians. He emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “Help can’t come fast enough.”
