The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has raised fresh concerns over the deteriorating state of religious freedom in Nigeria, warning that persecution is on the rise despite repeated government assurances.
In its latest Country Update on Nigeria, released on Monday, July 21, the commission detailed widespread violations of religious rights, including increasing attacks on places of worship, the enforcement of blasphemy laws, and unchecked violence by armed groups.
“It is egregious that the Nigerian government continues to tolerate the relentless violence committed by bandit gangs against religious communities,” USCIRF Commissioner Stephen Schneck told Aleteia.
“These persistent attacks must be urgently addressed,” he said, urging U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).
The report noted that 12 state governments and the federal government are currently enforcing blasphemy laws, under which individuals, including religious leaders, are being prosecuted and imprisoned for allegedly insulting religion.
It said at least four people, including two Islamic clerics, are presently incarcerated on such charges.
Beyond legal restrictions, the USCIRF said the Nigerian government has failed to curb gang violence that targets religious groups across the Middle Belt and northeast.
“This violence severely restricts religious practice and observance by Christians, Muslims, and traditional religious communities,” the report stated.
According to the document, attackers have vandalised churches and mosques, abducted or murdered clerics, and threatened religious communities while demanding extortion under the guise of enforcing Shari’a law.
The report also mentioned the wave of kidnappings and killings of Catholic priests, seminarians, and religious workers in 2025 as further evidence of Nigeria’s worsening religious freedom environment.
USCIRF warned that without urgent intervention, Nigeria risks further instability rooted in unchecked religious persecution.