United States congressional leaders have held an extraordinary joint briefing as part of an ongoing investigation into what they describe as rising, targeted violence against Christians in Nigeria.
The session was led by Mario Díaz-Balart, Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee and Chairman of the National Security Subcommittee. It forms part of a probe ordered by former U.S. President Donald Trump into recent mass killings and potential American policy responses.
Trump directed Congress to examine the scale of Christian persecution in Nigeria and issue a report to the White House, hinting that Washington may consider direct military action against Islamist extremist groups.
Vicky Hartzler, Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, told lawmakers that religious liberty in Nigeria is “under siege.” She cited repeated attacks in which “radical Muslims kill entire Christian villages and burn churches,” describing the violations as “rampant,” “violent,” and disproportionately directed at Christians who, she noted, are targeted “at a 2.2 to 1 rate.”
Hartzler warned that Nigeria is entering a “coordinated and deeply troubling period of escalated violence,” even as the government has made moves such as withdrawing roughly 100,000 police officers from VIP protection duties. She urged Congress to impose targeted sanctions on Nigerian officials “who have demonstrated complicity,” including visa bans and asset freezes. She also recommended tying humanitarian aid to “measurable accountability,” reviewing previous assistance, and pressuring Abuja to reclaim communities seized from Christian farming populations.
Ebenezer Obadare of the Council on Foreign Relations dismissed the narrative that extremists attack Christians and Muslims equally, calling it a “myth.” He argued that the groups are motivated primarily by religion, and that any higher Muslim casualty figures stem from geographic factors rather than equal targeting. Obadare said Nigeria’s military is “too corrupt and incompetent” to dismantle jihadist networks without significant external pressure.
He urged the U.S. to confront entrenched corruption within Nigeria’s security forces and to demand swift responses whenever intelligence warnings of impending attacks emerge.
Sean Nelson of Alliance Defending Freedom International described Nigeria as “the deadliest country in the world for Christians,” asserting that more Christians are killed there “than in all other countries combined.” He noted that extremists also murder Muslims who reject their ideology, and called for stricter oversight of U.S. aid to prevent corruption. Nelson further demanded increased transparency in how Nigerian authorities handle mass kidnappings and ransom payments.
Díaz-Balart faulted the Biden administration for removing Nigeria from the U.S. list of “Countries of Particular Concern,” saying the decision had “clearly deadly consequences.”
Hartzler, however, suggested there may be signs of a shift in Nigeria’s posture, citing the redeployment of police units and recent remarks by the Speaker of Nigeria’s House of Representatives acknowledging a “coordinated and deeply troubling period of escalated violence.”
She stressed that the Nigerian government must demonstrate “clear intent to quell injustice” and enforce genuine accountability before meaningful progress can be expected.
