Thirty-one members of the United States Congress have endorsed former President Donald Trump’s decision to classify Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over alleged religious persecution.
The lawmakers said the designation offers “a sign of hope” for millions of Christians facing attacks in the country.
They also called for tougher sanctions and decisive action against individuals and groups responsible for religious violence in Nigeria.
The designation, they said, should be followed by concrete diplomatic steps aimed at protecting vulnerable communities and ensuring accountability for perpetrators.
For years, international human rights groups, including the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), have raised concerns over attacks targeting Christian communities in parts of Nigeria, particularly in the north and Middle Belt.
These concerns have centred on recurring violence attributed to armed groups, bandits, and extremist elements, as well as tensions between herders and farming communities.
Nigerian authorities have repeatedly said that the violence is driven largely by criminality and resource conflicts rather than religious motives.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.