Newsie Events:
The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa has authorized President Donald Trump to impose strict sanctions on Nigeria due to the ongoing killing of Christians in the country.
This decision came after a congressional hearing on Wednesday, March 12, where lawmakers criticized the Nigerian government for failing to protect Christian communities from increasing violence.
The subcommittee referenced a 2024 report by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa, which revealed that Nigerians make up 90% of all Christians killed worldwide annually.
The report documented 55,910 deaths and 21,000 abductions by terrorist groups between October 2019 and September 2023.
During the hearing, Committee Chairman Chris Smith highlighted the seriousness of the crisis, drawing attention to the testimony of Bishop Wilfred Anagbe from the Diocese of Makurdi, Nigeria.
Smith condemned militant Fulani herdsmen, labeling them as terrorists who steal, vandalize, kill, and commit other violent acts with impunity.
He stressed that the attacks are religiously motivated, describing them as “religious cleansing” that must be stopped, with perpetrators held accountable.
The panel also criticized Nigeria’s judicial system, accusing it of being weaponized against Christian communities.
Lawmakers pointed to blasphemy laws used to target religious minorities, some carrying the death penalty, despite constitutional protections for religious freedom.
Blaming President Joe Biden’s administration for weakening U.S. pressure on Nigeria, Smith noted that Nigeria was removed from the Country of Particular Concern (CPC) list, a designation first imposed during Trump’s presidency.
Despite four years (2021–2024) of recommendations from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Biden did not reinstate Nigeria’s CPC status.
Smith called on Trump to restore Nigeria’s CPC designation and engage with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to ensure greater protection for Christians.
He also announced that he reintroduced a resolution on the issue, urging robust action to address the persecution.
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