US Congress to hold public hearing on the vexed matter of the persecution of Nigerian Christians

CONGRESSMEN in the US House of Representatives will hold an open hearing on Thursday November to examine President Donald Trump’s recent redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).

In a move certain to raise eyebrows in African capitals, the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa will look to see if there is any truth to the fact that there is religious persecution of Christians in Nigeria. This CPC designation, if ratified by the Senate, would allow the US to impose sanctions on Nigerian officials found complicit in religious persecution and limit certain forms of bilateral assistance.

It also signals to the international community that religious freedom in Nigeria remain under serious threat. This Congressional hearing, scheduled for 11am in Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building and available via a live webcast, will be chaired by Representative Chris Smith, a Republican from New Jersey.

It will feature two panels of witnesses, including senior US State Department officials and Nigerian religious leaders. Panellists will include senior bureau official of the Bureau of African Affairs Jonathan Pratt, and deputy assistant secretary of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Jacob McGee.

A second panel will feature the director of the Centre for Religious Freedom, Ms Nina Shea; Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of Makurdi Catholic Diocese in Nigeria and Ms Oge Onubogu of the Centre for Strategic & International Studies. Among other things, the congressional hearing is expected to review not only the scope of religious persecution in Nigeria but also potential policy responses, including targeted sanctions, humanitarian assistance and collaboration with Nigerian authorities to prevent further violence.

On October 31, President Trump designated Nigeria a ‘Country of Particular Concern for religious freedom violations. That move sparked a debate over rising attacks on Christians in Nigeria and the possibility of US intervention.

In designating Nigeria as a CPC, President Trump cited alleged severe violations of religious freedom, particularly the persecution of Christians. He claimed that Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria, with thousands of Christians being killed by radical Islamists and warned that the US would take action, including potential military intervention, if Nigeria did not address the issue.

President Trump said: “If the Nigerian government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the USA will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now-disgraced country, guns-a-blazing, to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.

"I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action.  If we attack, it will be fast, vicious and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our cherished Christians."

President Bola Tinubu, however, described the claim as a misrepresentation of Nigeria’s religious reality. He said the claim failed to reflect the country’s constitutional commitment to religious liberty.