U.S. lawmakers have strongly opposed the Nigerian government’s position regarding the ongoing massacres occurring in the country, characterizing the violence as “escalating,” “targeted,” and predominantly aimed at Christians. These comments were made during an uncommon joint congressional briefing on Wednesday.
The closed-door meeting, organized by House Appropriations Vice Chair Mario Díaz-Balart as part of an investigation mandated by President Trump, focused on recent killings and what Congress referred to as Abuja’s “deeply inadequate” response. President Trump assigned lawmakers, led by Representatives Riley Moore and Tom Cole, the task of compiling a report on the persecution faced by Nigerian Christians, even proposing potential U.S. military intervention against the Islamist groups responsible for the assaults.
During the briefing, Vicky Hartzler, chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, cautioned that “religious freedom [is] under siege” in Nigeria. She pointed to mass abductions of schoolchildren and attacks in which “radical Muslims annihilate entire Christian villages [and] set churches ablaze.” Hartzler noted that Christians are targeted at more than double the rate of Muslims.
While recognizing Nigeria’s recent reassignment of 100,000 police officers from VIP protection duties, Hartzler indicated that the country is entering a “coordinated and deeply troubling period of escalated violence.” She called for targeted sanctions, visa bans, asset freezes, and stricter conditions on U.S. aid, emphasizing that Abuja must reclaim villages taken from Christian communities so that displaced widows and children can return to their homes.
Dr. Ebenezer Obadare from the Council on Foreign Relations rejected the Nigerian government’s assertion that the killings are not motivated by religion. He contended that extremist groups attack “for one reason and one reason only: religion,” with the higher number of Muslim casualties being a reflection of geography rather than equal targeting. Obadare further accused the Nigerian military of being “too corrupt and incompetent” to effectively combat jihadist networks without external pressure, urging Washington to advocate for the disbandment of armed religious militias and prompt action on early warnings.
Sean Nelson of ADF International characterized Nigeria as “the deadliest country in the world for Christians,” highlighting that more Christians are killed there than in all other countries combined, at a rate five times higher than that of Muslims when adjusted for population. He suggested that U.S. aid should be funneled through faith-based organizations to ensure transparency and mitigate corruption, cautioning that “without outside pressure, nothing changes.”
Díaz-Balart criticized the Biden administration’s reversal of Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” in 2021, asserting that the decision had “clearly deadly consequences.” Lawmakers from the Appropriations, Foreign Affairs, and Financial Services committees indicated plans for increased oversight as they prepare the report directed by Trump.
Hartzler expressed approval of recent remarks by Nigeria’s Speaker of the House acknowledging “a coordinated and deeply troubling period of escalated violence” and described the redeployment of police officers as “a promising start after years of neglect.” However, she emphasized that these measures remain inadequate without true transparency and prompt government intervention.
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