A member of the U.S. Congress and Christian religious freedom advocates are urging the Trump administration to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) due to escalating attacks against Christians. This call comes after the designation was removed during the Biden administration.
Around three dozen prominent religious freedom advocates have signed a letter addressed to President Donald Trump, urging the U.S. State Department to classify Nigeria as a CPC under the International Religious Freedom Act. The letter states that “several years have seen a burgeoning of violent attacks specifically targeting rural Christians in the country’s Middle Belt, while the government in Abuja barely lifts a finger to protect them.”
The letter explains that U.S. law warrants a CPC designation when a country is found to be “tolerating” serious violations of religious freedom, or when the government itself carries out such violations. It further accuses the Nigerian government of directly violating religious freedom by enforcing Islamic blasphemy laws that carry the death penalty and harsh prison sentences against citizens of various religions.
Additionally, the government is said to tolerate relentless aggression uniquely targeting Christian farming families by militant Fulani Muslim herders, who appear intent on forcibly Islamizing the Middle Belt.
Signatories of the letter include:
– Nina Shea, Director of the Center for Religious Freedom at the Hudson Institute
– Frank Wolf, Former Member of Congress and longtime champion of international religious freedom
– Jim Daly, CEO of Focus on the Family
– Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council
This letter follows a similar appeal by Representative Riley Moore (R-W.V.), who called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, citing a sharp rise in killings, kidnappings, and displacement across the West African country.
The Biden administration lifted Nigeria’s CPC designation in 2021. Nigeria was first designated as a CPC during the final year of the first Trump administration.
Representative Moore referenced figures from a non-governmental organization indicating that more than 7,000 Christians were killed in Nigeria during the first seven months of 2025 alone. He described the situation as a “horrific slaughter of our brothers and sisters in Christ” in a post on X.
Over the last decade, tens of thousands of Nigerian Christians have been killed, and many others displaced. This violence has coincided with the rise of Islamic extremist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State in the northeast, as well as increased attacks by radicalized Fulani militias against predominantly Christian communities in the Middle Belt states.
The global Christian persecution watchdog, Open Doors, has warned in recent years that more Christians are killed in Nigeria for their faith annually than in all other countries combined.
While some international observers suggest that the violence against Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt states may meet the criteria for religious persecution and even genocide, the Nigerian government contends that the violence is not inherently religious. Instead, they attribute it to decades-old farmer-herder clashes.
Representative Moore emphasized the need for U.S. action, stating, “We must acknowledge the religious nature of this scourge of anti-Christian violence from radical Islamic terrorists. It’s time for the United States to defend our brothers and sisters in Christ, and designating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern will provide the diplomatic tools necessary to do just that. I urge Secretary Rubio to designate Nigeria as a CPC without delay.”
In July, Moore and Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced a joint congressional resolution condemning the persecution of Christians in Muslim-majority countries. The resolution named Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan, citing targeted killings, arrests, church closures, and forced conversions.
The measure called on the administration to use trade and security negotiations to press for changes. It also referenced the 2025 World Watch List by Open Doors, which estimates that over 380 million Christians worldwide face high levels of persecution.
This resolution followed Moore’s April address on the House floor, during which he condemned global Christian persecution.
https://www.christianpost.com/news/trump-admin-pressured-to-hold-nigeria-accountable.html
