Rep. Chris Smith held a congressional hearing urging the redesignation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” advocating for increased attention to ongoing religious freedom violations against Christians. Expert witnesses provided critical insights on the violence and persecution faced by religious communities in Nigeria, emphasizing urgent legislative action to address these issues.
United States Representative Chris Smith (NJ-04) convened a congressional hearing to address the ongoing violations of religious freedom in Nigeria. Smith, as the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, advocated for the redesignation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC), a status previously assigned by President Trump to aid persecuted Christians in the nation.
During the hearing, Bishop Wilfred Anagbe testified about the actions of militant Fulani herdsmen, stating that they engage in terrorism, stealing, vandalizing, killing, and kidnapping with complete impunity. Smith emphasized the previous designation of Nigeria as a CPC by President Trump in December 2020 and its subsequent reversal by Secretary Blinken in November 2021, which led to outrage among Nigerian religious leaders.
Smith, the author of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, criticized the Nigerian government for failing to address the religious persecution of Christians, despite the constitutional guarantee of religious freedom. He referenced the alarming statistics provided by Genocide Watch, which described Nigeria as a “killing field of defenseless Christians,” highlighting the over 52,000 Christians murdered by Islamist extremists since 2009.
Smith further stated that approximately five million Nigerians have been displaced due to targeted violence, predominantly affecting Christians. Last year, the House Foreign Affairs Committee adopted Smith’s resolution, H. Res. 82, calling on the Biden Administration to redesignate Nigeria as a CPC. The resolution was passed in committee in February 2024 but did not advance to the House floor. Smith reintroduced the legislation, now known as H.Res. 220, in March 2025.
The hearing featured testimonies from experts, including Nina Shea, Tony Perkins, and Oge Onubogu, who all addressed the profound challenges facing Christians in Nigeria. Bishop Anagbe expressed concerns about a long-standing Islamic agenda aimed at diminishing the Christian identity of significant portions of the population through violence and exclusion.
Shea described Nigeria as the world’s most dangerous country for Christians, with militant groups posing immediate threats to communities. Perkins corroborated this by criticizing Western media for neglecting the escalating violence against Christians in Africa, attributing it primarily to radical Islamist groups targeting Christians in Nigeria.
The appeals made during the hearing highlight the urgent need for international attention on the continued plight of religious minorities in Nigeria and raise critical questions surrounding the role of the U.S. government in addressing these violations.
The congressional hearing led by Rep. Chris Smith underscored the severe religious freedom crisis in Nigeria, characterized by continued violence against Christians. Expert testimonies revealed alarming statistics regarding persecution and displacement, prompting a call for the redesignation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern.” The joint effort seeks to elevate awareness and prompt governmental action against the ongoing atrocities facing religious minorities in the region.
Original Source: anglican.ink
