U.S. CONGRESS DIVIDED OVER CLAIMS OF ‘CHRISTIAN GENOCIDE’ IN NIGERIA.

By Prince Uwalaka Chimaroke
21- NOV- 2025

A major rift has emerged among lawmakers in the United States Congress over how to interpret the escalating violence in Nigeria, as opposing factions clash over whether the atrocities amount to a targeted “Christian genocide” or reflect a broader, more complex national security crisis.

The controversy reignited after U.S. President Donald Trump recently redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC)—a classification reserved for nations accused of severe violations of religious freedom. While some American legislators argue that Christians are being systematically exterminated, others strongly caution against adopting what they describe as an overly simplistic and potentially dangerous narrative.

During Thursday’s congressional hearing, emotions ran high. Republican Congressman Bill Huizenga, backing the CPC designation, grew visibly emotional as he accused Nigeria’s government of negligence. He insisted Christian communities were disproportionately under attack and urged Washington to respond decisively.

His claims were reinforced by Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, who praised President Trump for the CPC designation and demanded stronger action, including the use of the Magnitsky Act to sanction Nigerian officials accused of enabling extremist violence.

A similar position came from Jacob McGee of the U.S. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour, who maintained that many documented attacks—especially in the Middle Belt—were deliberate assaults on Christian populations, quoting eyewitness accounts of religiously motivated killings, abductions, and rapes. He also criticised Nigeria’s handling of blasphemy-related violence, highlighting the unresolved murder of student Deborah Samuel.

However, several lawmakers pushed back firmly. Democratic Congresswoman Sara Jacobs stressed that Nigeria’s turmoil impacts both Muslims and Christians, warning that framing it as a one-sided religious war risks inflaming tensions and undermining peace efforts. She pointed to cases where Muslim communities were the primary victims of violence, including major kidnapping incidents in Kebbi State. Jacobs also condemned Trump’s threat of unilateral military action in Nigeria, calling it reckless and illegal.

Representative Pramila Jayapal echoed these concerns, arguing that Nigeria’s turmoil spans ethnic, economic, and political dimensions—far beyond religious motivations alone. Conflict data from ACLED appears to support this view, showing that only about five percent of violent incidents from 2020 to 2025 were explicitly religious in nature, with casualties recorded on both Christian and Muslim sides.

Oge Onubogu of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies warned Congress that U.S. military involvement could worsen Nigeria’s fragile situation and even endanger the Christian communities the intervention intends to protect. She urged lawmakers to adopt a holistic view of Nigeria’s security challenges rather than a narrow narrative.

Meanwhile, Congressman Riley Moore—one of the strongest advocates pushing the genocide narrative—met with Nigerian National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu in Washington for what he described as a candid and productive engagement on the allegations of religious persecution.

Although the Nigerian government continues to reject claims of a Christian genocide, insisting the crisis is driven by banditry, economic grievances, and armed criminal networks, the renewed debate in Washington and the CPC designation have intensified diplomatic pressure on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to show clear progress in safeguarding all citizens, regardless of religious identity.