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US HOUSE COMMENDS TRUMP FOR REDESIGNATING NIGERIA AS “COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN” OVER RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION

November 13, 2025 • 3 min read

By Ademola Adekusibe
November 13, 2025.

The United States House of Representatives has introduced a resolution commending former President Donald Trump for redesignating Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) over what it described as the country’s “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.”

The resolution, tagged H.Res.860, was introduced on November 4, 2025, by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI) during the 119th Congress and referred to the House Committees on Foreign Affairs and Judiciary for further consideration.

According to the text of the bill, the House praised Trump’s decision to reinstate Nigeria on the CPC list, accusing the Nigerian government of “engaging in and tolerating” acts of religious persecution, particularly targeting Christians and moderate Muslims in parts of the country’s North and Middle Belt regions.

The resolution cited reports of widespread attacks, kidnappings, and mass killings allegedly carried out by Islamist militant groups such as Boko Haram and Fulani militias. It also referenced data from Open Doors International, which claimed that Nigeria accounted for 89 percent of all Christians killed worldwide in 2023.

It further noted that over 18,000 churches had been destroyed since 2009, while a 2024 report by the Observatory of Religious Freedom in Africa estimated that more than 56,000 people were killed and 22,000 abducted in terror-related attacks between 2019 and 2023.

The resolution faulted the Nigerian government for failing to investigate or prosecute perpetrators of religiously motivated violence, describing the situation as fostering “a culture of impunity.”

It also condemned the use of blasphemy laws in parts of northern Nigeria, warning that such laws “target religious minorities and dissenters with harsh penalties, including death sentences.” The document accused state authorities of discriminating against non-Muslims under dual Sharia and secular law systems.

The House further criticized the Biden administration for omitting Nigeria from the CPC list between 2021 and 2024, arguing that the decision contradicted consistent recommendations from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which had called for the country’s redesignation.

Citing testimony from religious leaders including Bishop Wilfred Anagbe and Father Remigius Iyhula before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the resolution said many advocates of interfaith tolerance in Nigeria have faced harassment and intimidation both from extremists and government agencies.

The bill calls for the State Department to provide direct humanitarian assistance to faith-based organizations supporting displaced persons in Nigeria and to condition U.S. foreign aid on measurable efforts by the Nigerian government to curb religious persecution.

It also recommends that the U.S. Treasury and State Departments impose targeted sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act against individuals and groups linked to religious violence, including the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.

The resolution concludes by reaffirming America’s commitment to promoting religious freedom and human rights as core principles of U.S. foreign policy.