US Congressman Bill Huizenga has accused President Bola Tinubu’s government of “sitting back” amid worsening insecurity in Nigeria.
Huizenga made the remarks on Thursday while testifying before the US House Subcommittee on Africa, which is reviewing Nigeria’s redesignation as a country of particular concern (CPC).
He directly criticised the Nigerian delegation for downplaying the crisis in Washington.
“It ought to be outrageous that Christians, moderate Muslims, and anyone being terrorised by radicalised Islamists in Nigeria are suffering while the Tinubu government sits back and does not do enough.
“I was recently interviewed by Nigerian television, and the question was whether the Tinubu government is doing enough. My answer: no, they are not. I do not understand how a delegation can come here and downplay the crisis or offer excuses for why this is allowed to happen. It should be rejected and called out for what it is,” Huizenga said.
Huizenga also criticised the media and some members of Congress for “denying” or “de-emphasising” the scale of the killings.
Recalling a Christmas Eve 2023 attack that killed 200 people, he said the incident highlighted that security conditions have not improved.
“Do we see Christians killing Muslims the way radicalised Islamists kill Christians in Muslim areas?” he questioned, highlighting the pattern of religious attacks in the country.
The committee will also hear from senior US State Department officials and Nigerian religious leaders. The hearing follows US President Donald Trump’s decision on 31 October 2025 to reinstate Nigeria on the CPC list, citing systematic persecution of Christians and reviewing military options.
The Nigerian government, however, rejected the allegations. President Tinubu 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 reality.”
Nigeria was first designated a CPC in 2020 under Trump, but former President Joe Biden removed it shortly after assuming office.