The US House Subcommittee on Africa reviewed Nigeria’s redesignation as a Country of Particular Concern due to escalating attacks on Christians.
The United States House Subcommittee on Africa convened a public hearing on Thursday to examine Nigeria’s recent redesignation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under President Donald Trump, according to PUNCH. The hearing, chaired by Representative Chris Smith, included senior US State Department officials and Nigerian religious leaders, focusing on the consequences of the CPC status, including potential sanctions and restrictions on US aid.
Representative John James, a former Africa Subcommittee chairman, described Nigeria as “facing one of the gravest religious freedom crises in the world” and highlighted the killing of nearly 17,000 Christians since 2019. He said, “These are not isolated tragedies, but a sustained pattern of religiously motivated violence, often ignored or even enabled by the Nigerian government.”
James also cited the detention of Nnamdi Kanu, noting, “In 2022, Nigeria’s Court of Appeals struck down the charges against him and ordered his release… yet he remains in solitary confinement in deteriorating health.”
Responding to questions on government infiltration by extremists, Senior Bureau Official Jonathan Pratt said, “I do not believe that the government of Nigeria has been infiltrated by jihadists,” adding that Nigerian authorities have “taken the designation very seriously” and have engaged with US officials on an action plan, yielding “positive… cooperation.”