The United States Congress has approved strict sanctions on Nigeria due to increasing violence against Christians in the country. The decision came after a hearing by the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, where lawmakers condemned the Nigerian government for not protecting Christian communities.

During the hearing on March 12, the subcommittee referred to a 2024 report by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa. The report revealed that 90% of Christians killed worldwide each year were Nigerians. It stated that between October 2019 and September 2023, about 55,910 people were killed, and 21,000 were kidnapped by terrorists.

Committee Chairman Chris Smith highlighted the crisis, pointing to testimony from Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of Nigeria’s Diocese of Makurdi. Smith described the attacks as religiously motivated and accused Fulani militants of committing crimes without facing justice.

Lawmakers criticized Nigeria’s government for not addressing religious violence, even though the country’s constitution guarantees religious freedom. They also raised concerns about Nigeria’s legal system being used to suppress Christian communities, especially through blasphemy laws.

Smith blamed former President Joe Biden’s administration for removing Nigeria from the Country of Particular Concern (CPC) list, which had increased pressure on Nigeria to address religious persecution.

He urged former President Donald Trump to reinstate Nigeria’s CPC status and take further action to protect Christians.

Smith announced that he had reintroduced a resolution to address the issue and expected Trump to take decisive action. He also called for direct engagement with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to ensure better protection for Christian communities.

With growing international pressure, it remains to be seen how Nigeria’s government will respond to these sanctions and whether any measures will be taken to curb religious violence in the country.