The debate over alleged Christian genocide in Nigeria intensified in Washington on Tuesday as key members of the United States Congress openly questioned the Nigerian government’s account of spiralling religious violence. The pushback emerged during a rare joint briefing of the House Appropriations and Foreign Affairs committees, convened as part of a broader congressional investigation ordered by President Donald Trump.
The session, chaired by House Appropriations Vice Chair and National Security Subcommittee Chairman Mario Díaz-Balart (R-Fla.), is contributing to a comprehensive report on recent massacres of Christians in Nigeria and possible US policy responses. President Trump had specifically tasked Congress — led by Representatives Riley Moore (R-W.Va.) and Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) — to probe the scale of Christian persecution and recommend actions the White House may consider. He has even suggested possible direct military intervention against Islamist groups responsible for killings.
At the briefing, testimonies from religious freedom officials, security analysts and human rights advocates sharply contradicted Abuja’s long-standing position that the violence is driven mainly by criminality, farmer-herder conflict and local disputes.
“Religious freedom under siege” — USCIRF Chair
Vicky Hartzler, chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), painted a grim picture of the situation, telling lawmakers that religious freedom in Nigeria was “under siege.” She cited the abduction of hundreds of schoolchildren and repeated incidents where “radical Muslims kill entire Christian villages and burn churches.”
Hartzler said violations were “rampant,” “violent,” and disproportionately targeted Christians at a ratio of 2.2 to 1 compared with Muslims. Although she acknowledged some recent efforts by Nigerian authorities — including the reassignment of nearly 100,000 police officers from VIP protection roles — she warned the country was entering a “coordinated and deeply troubling period of escalated violence.”
Her recommendations included targeted sanctions on Nigerian officials “who have demonstrated complicity,” visa bans, asset freezes, and conditioning humanitarian and foreign aid on measurable progress. She urged Congress to mandate a Government Accountability Office review of past US assistance and called on Abuja to retake villages seized from Christian communities to enable displaced women and children to return home.
CFR Expert: FG’s claims are a “myth”
Delivering one of the strongest rebukes, Dr Ebenezer Obadare of the Council on Foreign Relations rejected Nigeria’s argument that Christians and Muslims are equally targeted. He described Abuja’s narrative as a “myth,” insisting that Boko Haram and other extremist groups act “for one reason and one reason only: religion.”
Obadare argued that higher Muslim casualty figures are due to geography, not equal targeting, and characterised Boko Haram as fundamentally opposed to democracy. He said Nigeria’s military was “too corrupt and incompetent” to dismantle insurgent networks without substantial external pressure.
He urged Washington to compel Abuja to dismantle armed groups enforcing Islamic law, address systemic corruption within security agencies, and respond more promptly to early warnings of attacks.
“Deadliest country for Christians” — ADF International
Sean Nelson of Alliance Defending Freedom International said Nigeria remained “the deadliest country in the world for Christians,” claiming more Christians were killed there annually than in all other countries combined. When measured against population, he said Christians were being killed at a rate “five times” higher than Muslims.
Nelson noted that extremists also murder Muslims who refuse to adopt their ideology, which he said further undermined the Nigerian government’s argument that the crisis is not religiously motivated. He recommended stricter oversight of US aid to Nigeria, including routing assistance through faith-based organisations to avoid corruption. He also called for transparency in how Abuja manages mass kidnappings and ransom payments.
Deadly consequences of policy reversal — Díaz-Balart
Chairman Díaz-Balart also criticised the Biden administration for removing Nigeria from the list of “countries of particular concern” in 2021 — a designation originally placed by the Trump administration. He said reversing it had had “clearly deadly consequences,” emboldening extremist groups and weakening international pressure.
Lawmakers across the Appropriations, Foreign Affairs and Financial Services committees signalled more hearings, investigations and accountability measures as they prepare Trump’s requested report for the White House.
Signs of a possible shift in Abuja
Despite the criticisms, Hartzler acknowledged some recent actions that may indicate a shift in Nigeria’s approach. She highlighted President Bola Tinubu’s order withdrawing 100,000 police officers from VIP protection duties and redeploying them nationwide — a step she described as “a promising start after years of neglect.”
She said the redeployment suggested growing recognition within Nigeria’s political leadership that the scale of violence, especially in rural Christian communities, had become intolerable.
The congressional inquiry is expected to intensify in the coming months, potentially reshaping US-Nigeria relations as Washington weighs sanctions, aid restrictions and wider security interventions.
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