The debate over alleged targeted killings of Christians in Nigeria has intensified in Washington, as senior US lawmakers once again rejected the Federal Government’s stance on the issue.
During a joint briefing by the House Appropriations and Foreign Affairs Committees—part of a broader investigation ordered by President Donald Trump—lawmakers reviewed new findings on Nigeria’s insecurity.
Committee leaders said the evidence shows clear religious targeting and serious gaps in Nigeria’s security response.
Vicky Hartzler, chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, warned that “religious freedom is under siege,” citing attacks on Christian villages, church burnings, and mass abductions.
She said Christians are targeted “at a 2.2 to 1 rate” compared with Muslims and called for sanctions on complicit officials, tighter conditions on US aid, and a GAO review.
CFR analyst Dr. Ebenezer Obadare dismissed Nigeria’s claim that extremists attack both Muslims and Christians equally, calling it a “myth.”
He argued the military is too compromised to dismantle extremist networks without external pressure.
Sean Nelson of ADF International described Nigeria as “the deadliest country in the world for Christians,” urging stronger oversight of US aid and transparency in ransom-related cases.
House Appropriations Vice Chair Mario Díaz-Balart criticised the Biden administration for removing Nigeria from the US list of “countries of particular concern” in 2021, saying it had “deadly consequences.”
Hartzler acknowledged some reforms by the Tinubu administration, including the withdrawal of 100,000 police officers from VIP duties, but said more decisive action is needed.
The Nigerian Embassy in Washington did not respond to inquiries.
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