Thirty-one members of the United States Congress have endorsed former President Donald Trump’s decision to classify Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over alleged religious persecution.
The lawmakers said the designation offers “a sign of hope” for millions of Christians facing attacks in the country.
The chairman of the US House foreign affairs Africa subcommittee, Chris Smith, said the reinstatement of the CPC status was “a powerful step forward in holding the Nigerian government accountable for its complicity in the unchecked murder, rape, and torture of Christians.”
Tom Emmer, house majority whip, praised Trump’s leadership, saying “God bless President Trump for standing up and protecting Christians around the globe.”
He added that the United States “finally has a leader unafraid to do what’s right.”
Lisa McClain, GOP chair, described the situation in Nigeria as “a moral outrage and a crime against humanity.”
Josh Brecheen, Mary Miller, and Mark Alford backed calls for sanctions and stronger international action to stop the killings.
Other lawmakers, including Don Bacon, Andy Biggs, Gus Bilirakis, and Tim Walberg, urged Washington to deploy “every diplomatic and strategic tool” to protect Nigerian Christians and ensure accountability.
They also called for tougher sanctions and decisive action against individuals and groups responsible for religious violence in Nigeria.
The designation, they said, should be followed by concrete diplomatic steps aimed at protecting vulnerable communities and ensuring accountability for perpetrators.
For years, international human rights groups, including the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), have raised concerns over attacks targeting Christian communities in parts of Nigeria, particularly in the north and Middle Belt.
These concerns have centred on recurring violence attributed to armed groups, bandits, and extremist elements, as well as tensions between herders and farming communities.
Nigerian authorities have repeatedly said that the violence is driven largely by criminality and resource conflicts rather than religious motives.