Committees of the United States Congress on Tuesday held a joint briefing in Washington DC over the ongoing kidnappings and alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria. The session followed instructions from President Donald Trump, who on October 31 directed the House Appropriations Committee to investigate what he described as the slaughter of Christians in Nigeria and report their findings to the White House.
Separately, the Nigerian House of Representatives is scheduled to debate the state of security in the country on Wednesday.
The Congress session, led by House Appropriations Vice Chair and National Security Subcommittee Chairman Mario Díaz-Balart, brought together members of the House Appropriations and House Foreign Affairs Committees alongside religious freedom experts. Participants included Reps Robert Aderholt, Riley Moore, Brian Mast, Chris Smith, US Commission on International Religious Freedom Chair Vicky Hartzler, Alliance Defending Freedom International’s Sean Nelson, and Dr Ebenezer Obadare of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Díaz-Balart described global religious freedom as “both a moral obligation and an essential American interest,” stressing that “no one should have to fear for their safety because of how they choose to worship.” He added that his FY26 funding bill addresses this commitment and that a full-year funding measure is critical to advancing the America First agenda.
Aderholt described the situation in Nigeria as “a crisis that cannot be ignored” and commended collaborative efforts to provide the President with the information needed to confront what he called a growing tragedy. Moore highlighted Nigeria’s recent redesignation as a Country of Particular Concern, stating, “Our brothers and sisters in Christ are being persecuted and slaughtered simply for professing their faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
House Foreign Affairs Chairman Mast framed the violence as part of a broader campaign of religious cleansing aimed at driving Christians from their ancestral lands in the Middle Belt. He called on the Nigerian government to disarm militias, return displaced families to their homes, and bring perpetrators to justice. Smith described Nigeria as “ground zero of religious violence,” highlighting that Christians and moderate Muslims face constant threats of murder, rape, and torture, while accusing authorities of allowing perpetrators to act with impunity.
Expert witnesses detailed an atmosphere of insecurity affecting multiple religious communities. Hartzler cited the November abduction of more than 300 children and 12 teachers from a Catholic school, calling for improved accountability from Nigerian authorities and better use of US security assistance. Nelson recounted kidnappings, forced conversions, and deadly attacks, while Obadare identified Boko Haram as the central driver of violence and urged continued US leverage to pressure the Nigerian government on Sharia law and militias.
Committee officials said they are preparing a comprehensive report for President Trump with recommendations on supporting efforts to curb religious persecution in Nigeria.
The briefing comes amid strengthened US–Nigeria security cooperation. President Bola Tinubu recently approved Nigeria’s delegation to the US–Nigeria Joint Working Group, established to implement security agreements, enhance counterterrorism, intelligence sharing, border security, and coordination on humanitarian and civilian protection.
The initiative follows rising concerns over terrorism, banditry, and targeted attacks on Christians in Nigeria, prompting increased US scrutiny. On November 20, the US House Subcommittee on Africa held a public hearing reviewing Nigeria’s redesignation as a Country of Particular Concern, increasing scrutiny of alleged religious-freedom violations.
