US lawmakers have accused the Nigerian government of not doing enough to address the rising insecurity and killings in the country.
The lawmakers spoke on Tuesday during the United States House Appropriations Committee joint congressional briefing on the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria, as reported on Channels TV.
At the event, the lawmakers took turns to address the situation in the wake of President Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and his threat of military action.
“The Nigerian government has a fundamental, constitutional obligation to protect its citizens; however, the perpetrators of this persecution operate with complete impunity,” Congressman Chris Smith told the gathering.
According to the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, the US will hold the Nigerian government to account over the killings.
“The Nigerian government is trying to run out the clock; we cannot allow this to happen. We must act quickly and decisively to save more lives,” he said.
Reps Brian Mast echoed a similar sentiment, backing President Donald Trump’s decision to redesignate Nigeria as a country of particular concern.
He said the US “must demand that the Nigerian government disarm these militias, return displaced families to their homes, and bring the perpetrators to justice.”
At the event, Riley Moore, the House Appropriations Legislative Branch Subcommittee Vice Chair and leading religious liberty advocate, doubled down on his allegation of persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
The Congressman alleged: “The world will no longer turn a blind eye to the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.”
Lawmakers were not the only ones at the briefing. The Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Vicky Hartzler, said that despite early warnings, Nigerian authorities do little to forestall attacks.
While calling for more support for Nigeria in the fight against insecurity, Hartzler said: “Resources could also be invested in using early warning systems to reduce community violence, and the U.S. government should insist that Nigerian government officials respond when there is an early warning.
“Too many times, local villagers learn of an impending attack and reach out for protection, only to have their cries for help ignored to their ultimate demise. Worse yet, there are stories of law enforcement being called during an attack, and yet no help is sent. This is unacceptable!”
A Douglas Dillon Senior Fellow for Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, Ebenezer Obadare, said Nigeria’s insecurity can be traced to jihadist terror gangs, especially Boko Haram.
He said Trump’s move has piled pressure on the Nigerian government, citing calls for the recruitment of more security operatives and the declaration of a national security emergency, among other measures, as dividends.
“Washington must keep up the pressure. The policy goal should be two-fold: first, work with the Nigerian military to neutralize Boko Haram,” Obadare said.
“Second, the United States should put pressure on President Tinubu to (1) make Sharia law unconstitutional in the twelve northern states where they has been adopted since 2000 and (2) disband the various Hisbah groups across northern states seeking to enforce and impose Islamic law on all citizens regardless of their religious identity.”
On November 20, there was also a US Congressional hearing to examine the escalating violence in Nigeria and Trump’s declaration of Nigeria as a CPC.
Trump first designated Nigeria as a CPC in 2020, but it was removed from the list by his successor, President Joe Biden.
However, the US president, on October 31, redesignated Nigeria as a CPC over religious freedom violations.
He thereafter threatened military action in Nigeria if the Federal Government did not address the challenge. Trump said the US may halt aid and assistance to Nigeria if nothing is done to stop the alleged Christian persecution.
