Our Correspondent | Foreign Front
The United States has announced new steps to address what it describes as escalating attacks and mass killings targeting Christian communities in Nigeria, signalling possible visa restrictions against individuals accused of involvement in the violence.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was “taking decisive action” in response to “mass killings and attacks on Christians carried out by radical Islamic terrorists, Fulani militias, and other violent groups in Nigeria and beyond.”
Under the newly activated policy — implemented through Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the US Immigration and Nationality Act — the State Department can impose visa bans on anyone who has “directed, authorised, significantly supported, participated in, or carried out violations of religious freedom.” These restrictions may also extend to immediate family members.
Rubio stressed that the measures could apply “to Nigeria and any other governments or individuals engaged in violations of religious freedom,” adding that the US remains “deeply concerned” about rising assaults on vulnerable faith groups.
The announcement followed a high-level briefing convened on Tuesday by US House Republicans, focusing on increasing religiously driven violence in Nigeria. The meeting, led by House Appropriations Vice Chair and National Security Subcommittee Chairman Mario Díaz-Balart, included lawmakers from the House Appropriations and Foreign Affairs Committees, as well as religious freedom experts.
Participants included Representatives Robert Aderholt, Riley Moore, Brian Mast, and Chris Smith; USCIRF Chair Vicky Hartzler; ADF International’s Sean Nelson; and Dr Ebenezer Obadare of the Council on Foreign Relations.
The closed-door session was convened at the direction of President Donald Trump, who on 31 October, 2025 ordered the House Appropriations Committee to investigate what he termed the “slaughter of Christians” in Nigeria.
The renewed scrutiny comes weeks after Trump reclassified Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) on 31 October — a designation reserved for nations found to be perpetrating or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom.
“Nigeria’s Christian communities have endured unimaginable suffering,” Trump said on 3 November, adding that his administration would “consider all possible measures, including military options where necessary, to protect innocent lives.”
Nigeria was previously listed as a CPC in December 2020, during Trump’s first term. The designation was removed under President Joe Biden, a decision that drew criticism from several US lawmakers and advocacy groups.
In Nigeria, the announcement comes amid heightened security cooperation with Washington. President Bola Tinubu recently approved the Nigerian delegation to the newly established US–Nigeria Joint Working Group, formed to implement security agreements following high-level talks in Washington led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
The working group aims to enhance intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism coordination, and defensive capabilities — areas seen as crucial given ongoing attacks by extremist groups, bandits, and militias across several northern and central states.
Amid mounting international concern, the US House Subcommittee on Africa opened a public hearing on 20 November to examine the implications of Nigeria’s redesignation as a CPC. Lawmakers reviewed potential consequences, including sanctions against Nigerian officials found complicit in religious persecution or failure to protect targeted communities.
Nigeria has grappled with overlapping security crises for more than a decade, including terrorism by Boko Haram and ISWAP, expanding banditry in the North-West, and recurrent farmer-herder clashes in the Middle Belt. Christian communities — particularly in Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, and Taraba — have repeatedly reported targeted attacks, prompting urgent appeals for international intervention.
Human rights groups have long accused successive Nigerian governments of failing to adequately prosecute perpetrators or protect at-risk populations — claims the authorities have consistently rejected.
As pressure grows from Washington, the coming months will test Nigeria’s efforts to confront insecurity and reassure international partners of its commitment to safeguarding religious freedom.