The United States House Appropriations Committee has issued a fresh warning over what it described as the worsening plight of Christians in Nigeria, declaring that the country is rapidly becoming “one of the most dangerous places on Earth to follow Christ.”
The Committee made the comments in a statement posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday night, signalling renewed congressional pressure on the White House amid growing concern that Nigeria is edging toward what some lawmakers now describe as an emerging Christian genocide.
In its post, the Committee stated: “Nigeria is rapidly becoming one of the most dangerous places on Earth to follow Christ, and as Robert Aderholt made clear in a roundtable this past week, we can’t ignore this crisis. Appropriators will continue to defend liberty and uphold religious freedom across the globe.”
Rep. Robert Aderholt, a senior member of the U.S. House and a prominent advocate for global religious freedom, reinforced the Committee’s concerns. He stressed the need for Washington to take firmer action to address persistent violence against Christian communities in Nigeria and elsewhere.
“We must stand firmly with Nigeria’s Christian communities and all persecuted believers worldwide, and I commend our collaborative efforts to provide the President with the information needed to confront this growing tragedy,” Aderholt said.
Nigeria has faced intensifying international scrutiny over widespread violence linked to terrorism, banditry, and communal clashes—much of which disproportionately affects Christian populations, particularly in the Middle Belt and northern regions.
For over a decade, Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have carried out brutal attacks, while armed herder–farmer conflicts, banditry, and mass kidnappings have increasingly targeted rural Christian settlements.
The U.S. has repeatedly accused Nigerian authorities of failing to sufficiently protect vulnerable communities, with some American lawmakers characterizing the situation as “religious cleansing.”
The Nigerian government, however, has consistently denied allegations of genocide, maintaining that the violence stems from criminal activity rather than religious persecution. Despite this, Western legislators continue to express concern over what they see as clear patterns of targeted attacks.
In 2020, the U.S. State Department designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) for severe violations of religious freedom, a listing that was controversially reversed the following year—drawing sharp criticism from lawmakers including Aderholt.
In recent months, multiple congressional committees have held hearings and roundtables on Nigeria’s security crisis. These discussions influenced the former President Donald Trump administration’s move to restore Nigeria to the CPC list and consider stronger measures, including potential military actions against extremist groups operating in the country.
With its latest statement, the House Appropriations Committee has signalled that the issue could now shape upcoming budgetary deliberations and U.S. foreign policy toward Nigeria.
The Committee also suggested that pressure on the White House will intensify as lawmakers push for a more assertive American response.
For international advocacy organisations monitoring religious violence, the Committee’s remarks underscore a growing shift: Nigeria’s long-running security crisis—once treated as a domestic challenge—is increasingly becoming a major focus of global legislative concern.
