The United States House Appropriations Committee has restated its commitment to tackling religious persecution in Nigeria, vowing that “America will not look away as innocent lives are stolen.”
The committee announced this on Wednesday via its official 𝕏 account, following an investigative mission to Nigeria led by congressional appropriators acting on President Donald Trump’s directive.
“Directed by @POTUS, Appropriators led an on-the-ground mission to inform a report on Christian persecution in Nigeria and guide policy recommendations,” the statement read.
It added, “Religious freedom and atrocity response are central to our NSRP bill.”
Confirming the visit, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, said the U.S. delegation was hosted in Abuja as part of ongoing bilateral security consultations.
“The visit followed prior engagements in Washington, DC, and focused on counter-terrorism cooperation, regional stability, and efforts to strengthen the strategic security partnership between Nigeria and the United States,” Ribadu stated.
One of the visiting U.S. lawmakers, Rep. Riley Moore, also described the visit as “very productive,” revealing that the team met with Christian and community leaders in Benue State, including members of the Tiv and Catholic communities.
The diplomatic mission comes amid increased scrutiny of Nigeria’s human rights record. The Trump administration recently redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over alleged violations of religious freedom—a move accompanied by congressional warnings of potential U.S. military intervention.
The Nigerian government has repeatedly denied allegations of religious bias in its security response, arguing that attacks by non-state actors affect both Christian and Muslim communities alike.
On November 20, Ribadu met with U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon to discuss a joint approach to tackling insecurity in Nigeria. That same day, the U.S. House Subcommittee on Africa convened a public hearing to probe the CPC redesignation and assess its implications.
At a separate briefing held last Tuesday, House Republicans renewed concerns over ongoing violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and northern regions.
According to U.S. lawmakers, President Trump on October 31 instructed the House Appropriations Committee to “investigate the slaughter of Christians in Nigeria and report back to the White House.”
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