The United States House of Representatives is considering a resolution condemning the persecution and killings of Christians in Nigeria, while backing former President Donald Trump’s decision to redesignate the country as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over serious violations of religious freedom.
The six-page resolution, sponsored by Representative Riley M. Moore of West Virginia, highlights widespread religiously motivated violence and calls for stronger U.S. action, including diplomatic, economic, and security pressure on the Nigerian government.
According to the resolution, Nigeria has become one of the most dangerous places in the world for Christians since the Boko Haram insurgency began in 2009. It states that between 50,000 and 100,000 Christians have been killed for their faith since then, with over 7,000 deaths recorded in 2025 alone — an average of 35 every day.
The document further reveals that over 19,000 churches have been attacked or destroyed, while in Benue and Plateau States, more than 9,500 people — mostly Christians — were killed between May 2023 and May 2025 by suspected Fulani militants.
“These attacks are not random or merely intercommunal,” the resolution says, describing them as “deliberate campaigns of religious cleansing.”
Groups identified as responsible include Boko Haram, ISWAP, and Fulani militants, accused of carrying out massacres, kidnappings, church burnings, and sexual violence targeting Christian communities.
The resolution supports Trump’s October 31, 2025 redesignation of Nigeria as a CPC, a classification that allows Washington to impose sanctions and other diplomatic measures over ongoing religious persecution.
It also accuses President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of denying the existence of religious persecution despite extensive reports of violence and attacks against Christian populations.
U.S. lawmakers are urging their government to use all available diplomatic and economic tools to compel Nigerian authorities to end impunity, protect Christian communities, and repeal blasphemy laws.
The resolution concludes by affirming that the United States stands in solidarity with Christians in Nigeria, pledging to defend their right to worship freely without fear of persecution or death.
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