•State Department says it has raised violence concerns with Nigerian government
••U.S. urges Abuja to do more as watchdogs rank Nigeria among most dangerous for Christians
A group of Republican senators has urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to consider re-designating Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act, citing what they describe as “continued unchecked acts of violence and terrorism against religious minorities” in the country.
The letter, signed by Senators Ted Budd, Josh Hawley, Pete Ricketts, Ted Cruz and James Lankford, asks that the CPC designation be used to give the president additional authority to address violence perpetrated by nonstate actors in Nigeria.
“We write to urge you to consider designating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) pursuant to the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) to give the President additional authority to take specific actions to address the continued unchecked acts of violence and terrorism against religious minorities perpetrated by nonstate actors in Nigeria,” the senators wrote.
The lawmakers recalled that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo designated Nigeria a CPC in December 2020 for “ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom,” particularly by groups such as Boko Haram. They noted that Secretary Antony Blinken removed Nigeria from the CPC list in 2021, and cited a March 25, 2025 recommendation from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) to place Nigeria back on the list following a series of violent incidents.
The senators’ letter references several deadly attacks that they say targeted Christians, including a May 2024 incident in which al-Qaeda–affiliated Ansaru gunmen reportedly kidnapped about 160 mainly Christian children and killed eight people in Niger State; separate attacks in which suspected bandits killed 10 farmers in Niger State; and incidents in Benue State in which bandits were reported to have killed dozens and kidnapped students. The letter also cites reports that “at least 200 Christians in Nigeria were brutally killed by terrorists in Benue state” in late June 2025 and that “3,100 of the 4,476 Christians killed during [the reporting] period lived in Nigeria.”
The senators further invoked actions taken by former President Donald Trump to promote religious freedom, including a May 1, 2025 executive order establishing a Religious Liberty Commission. They also quoted Trump’s 2019 appeal at the United Nations to condemn religious persecution and defend freedom of belief.
“We are grateful for President Trump and your work to champion our founding freedoms at home, as well as to condemn religious persecution around the world. We hope you will carefully consider designating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) pursuant to the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). We look forward to hearing from you,” the letter concludes.
The State Department told Newsweek that it has repeatedly raised violence against Christians and other groups with the Nigerian government at the highest levels. “The United States remains deeply concerned about the levels of violence against Christians and members of other groups in Nigeria, including the threats posed by terrorist groups like Boko Haram and ISIS–West Africa in northern Nigeria. We have raised these issues with the Nigerian government at the highest levels,” the department said, adding that Nigeria must act more decisively to halt attacks and ensure its laws align with commitments to religious freedom.
International advocacy group Open Doors ranks Nigeria as the seventh most dangerous country in the world for Christians and has said “more Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than in the rest of the world combined.”
The Nigerian government has dismissed claims that attacks in the country constitute a systematic genocide against Christians, calling such assertions “false, baseless, despicable, and divisive.”
Earlier reporting by SaharaReporters said the United States had expressed “deep concern” over persistent violence against Christians and other vulnerable groups in Nigeria and warned that the government in Abuja must take stronger action to protect citizens from terrorist attacks. Comedian Bill Maher has also drawn attention to the rising number of Christians killed by extremist groups such as Boko Haram and ISIS–West Africa.
