Listeners:
Top listeners:
-
play_arrow
U.S. Committee Demands Sanctions Against Nigeria for Christian Persecution
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa has urged that Nigeria be reinstated as a country of particular concern and face sanctions due to widespread Christian persecution, following a March 12 hearing. This recommendation comes after the Biden Administration had previously removed Nigeria from the list.
Lawmakers strongly rebuked the Nigerian government for its failure to protect Christian communities from escalating violence, as highlighted by numerous human rights groups.
A 2024 report from the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa indicates that Nigeria accounts for 90% of the global annual Christian deaths, documenting 55,910 killings and 21,000 abductions from October 2019 to September 2023.
During the hearing, Committee Chairman Chris Smith (R-NJ) cited the dire situation described by Bishop Wilfred Anagbe from Makurdi, stating, “Militant Fulani herdsmen are terrorists. They steal and vandalize, they kill and boast about it, they kidnap and rape, and they enjoy total impunity from elected officials. None of them have been arrested or brought to justice.” Both Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), along with Islamic Fulani militants, are significantly targeting Christians, particularly in the north.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) criticized Nigerian security forces’ failure to halt these attacks and noted some local officials’ complicity. The committee emphasized, “Make no mistake — these attacks are religiously motivated. This ‘religious cleansing’ must stop, and those responsible must be held accountable.”
Further criticism was directed at the Biden administration for removing Nigeria from the Country of Particular Concern (CPC) list, a status reserved for countries with severe violations of religious freedom, established under President Trump in 2020.
Chairman Smith called on President Trump to reengage Nigeria’s CPC designation and to press Nigerian President Bola Tinubu for better protection of Christian communities, stating, “I fully expect President Trump to redesignate Nigeria as a CPC and to take additional steps to support the persecuted church. Last night, I reintroduced a resolution on this issue, and I hope we will have a robust discussion that leads to real action.”
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Investigations continued Friday after a suspected Islamist gunman opened fire in a classroom at Old Dominion University in the U.S. state of Virginia on Thursday, killing a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) instructor and wounding two others before he was subdued by students and died, officials said.
All six crew members aboard a U.S. refueling aircraft have died after the plane crashed over western Iraq, the U.S. military confirmed Friday, as fighting between the United States, Israel, and Iran continued to intensify.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday that Iran’s newly installed supreme leader is likely wounded, disfigured, and hiding underground as the Islamic Republic reels from the opening blows of the war with the United States and Israel.
Bible sales in Britain have surged to their highest levels since records began, reflecting a growing spiritual interest across the nation—particularly among younger generations.
A damaged Russian gas tanker is drifting unmanned through the Mediterranean Sea, prompting Malta to prepare emergency measures while tensions linked to the war in Ukraine spill into Europe’s energy and security landscape.
Iran launched a new wave of drone and missile attacks on Gulf countries Thursday, the 13th day of the United States-Israel war against Tehran, with strikes reported in Bahrain and other states, sending oil prices sharply higher and raising concerns among foreign workers, including Christians.
Nearly 25,000 Christians, many of them impoverished sanitation workers and day laborers, face possible eviction from their homes in Pakistan’s capital after authorities ordered them to vacate two settlements within days, Christians familiar with the situation confirmed Thursday.
WHO WE ARE
The Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs encapsulate the beauty, wisdom, and eternal truths found in the Bible, creating an immersive experience that resonates with believers and seekers alike.
CONTACT
- +1 908 280-4246
- Essex County, USA
- info@tnjrfm.com