Nigeria faces possible US sanctions as congress officially probes alleged Christian genocide

Nigeria risks international sanctions as the United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa prepares to hold an open hearing on Thursday, November 20, 2025, to review President Donald Trump’s recent designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over alleged violations of religious freedom.

The CPC designation, if ratified by the Senate, could enable the US to impose targeted sanctions on Nigerian officials accused of complicity in religious persecution and limit certain forms of bilateral aid. It also sends a strong signal to the international community about the perceived threat to religious freedom in Nigeria.

The hearing, scheduled for 11:00 a.m. at the Rayburn House Office Building’s Room 2172 and available via live webcast, will be chaired by Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ). Two panels of witnesses are expected, including senior US State Department officials and Nigerian religious leaders. Panelists include Jonathan Pratt, Senior Bureau Official of the Bureau of African Affairs; Jacob McGee, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor; Nina Shea, Director of the Centre for Religious Freedom; Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of Makurdi Catholic Diocese; and Oge Onubogu of the Centre for Strategic & International Studies.

The congressional inquiry will examine the scale of religious persecution in Nigeria, the possibility of targeted sanctions, and options for humanitarian assistance. President Trump designated Nigeria as a CPC on October 31, citing alleged severe violations of religious freedom, particularly against Christians, and warning that US intervention – including military action – could follow if the Nigerian government fails to address the situation.

Trump’s comments have been controversial. On November 1, he stated: “If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the USA will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now-disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.”

President Bola Tinubu, however, dismissed the allegations as misrepresentative of Nigeria’s reality. In a statement on X, he said: “Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty. The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality. Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so.”

Despite Tinubu’s stance, US lawmakers insist that credible evidence exists of persecution. Congressman Riley Moore (R-WV) told Fox News that Christians are disproportionately targeted in Nigeria, estimating a five-to-one Christian-to-Muslim death ratio. He argued that the US has a moral obligation to intervene, stating: “We are a Christian nation and a nation that believes in the values and virtues of standing up for people who are being persecuted… the President has put all options on the table, including military kinetic action.”

Bishop Anagbe, who will testify at the House hearing, recently highlighted attacks against Christians by Islamist extremists and Fulani herdsmen in Benue State, describing homes torched, churches destroyed, and villagers forced into displacement camps. His testimony is expected to form a central part of the congressional review.

The controversy has drawn attention from religious leaders globally. Pope Leo XIV expressed concern over attacks on Christians in Nigeria and other countries, praying for peace and protection of worshippers.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has sought to address tensions internally. President Tinubu dispatched Dr Abiodun Essiet, Senior Special Assistant on Community Engagement in the North Central Zone, to Plateau State to mediate between Christian clerics and Fulani Miyetti Allah leaders. During the visit, local disputes, including a farm destruction in Gyel district of Jos South, were resolved peacefully with compensation and commitments to maintain harmony.