Washington, DC — Witnesses scheduled to appear before the United States Congress on Wednesday have warned that Nigeria could slide into deeper religious tensions if rising insecurity and violence across the country remain unresolved, describing the nation as a major flashpoint in the global religious freedom debate.
The warnings are contained in written testimonies released ahead of a joint hearing by the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Africa and Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. The session, titled “Defending Religious Freedom Around the World,” will assess threats to freedom of belief in various regions.
Among those expected to testify are former US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback; Mark Walker, Principal Advisor for Global Religious Freedom at the US State Department; Grace Drexel, daughter of a detained Chinese pastor; and Dr. Stephen Schneck, former chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
In his prepared remarks, Brownback described Nigeria as “the deadliest place on earth to be a Christian,” citing persistent violence, mass displacement, and weak security as indicators of a worsening religious crisis.
“Early warning signs of a Muslim-on-Christian war are emerging across Africa, with Nigeria at the center of the danger,” Brownback warned, adding that threatened faith communities worldwide remain “America’s strongest allies in advancing freedom.”
He also expressed concern over the involvement of foreign powers in Nigeria’s security landscape, cautioning that growing influence from countries such as China, Russia, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia could further complicate the country’s fragile stability.
In a separate submission, Schneck said freedom of religion or belief is facing a “historic crisis” globally, identifying Nigeria, Syria, and Sudan as countries where insecurity and weak governance have created dangerous conditions for religious communities.
“Nigeria, Syria, and Sudan are current examples of environments where freedom of religion or belief is under severe threat,” Schneck wrote.
He criticized what he described as shortcomings in the enforcement of the US International Religious Freedom Act, arguing that American policy has failed to match its stated commitments.
“We have been long on rhetoric and short on substance,” Schneck said, while cautioning against advocacy efforts that focus exclusively on Christians, stressing that international religious freedom protections apply to all faiths.
The renewed congressional scrutiny follows Nigeria’s recent redesignation by US President Donald Trump as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over alleged violations of religious freedom. The move triggered diplomatic engagements, including security consultations and meetings between US officials and Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
The Nigerian government has repeatedly rejected claims of targeted religious persecution, maintaining that insecurity affects citizens across religious and ethnic divides.
The outcome of the congressional hearing is expected to shape future US legislative and diplomatic actions on religious freedom in Nigeria and other high-risk countries.
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