Thirty-one members of the United States Congress have commended President Donald Trump for reinstating Nigeria’s designation as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC), a classification reserved for nations accused of severe violations of religious freedom.
The lawmakers described Trump’s decision as a “bold and moral step” towards confronting what they called an ongoing “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country.
Their commendation was contained in a joint statement released on Tuesday by Rep. Robert Aderholt, Chairman of the House Values Action Team, and made available to journalists on Thursday.
According to Aderholt, Trump’s decision “rekindled hope among Nigeria’s Christian population” and reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to global religious liberty.
“President Trump’s commitment to ending the Christian genocide in Nigeria and his decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern gives hope to the people of Nigeria,” he said.
The statement alleged that terrorist groups in Nigeria had killed thousands of Christians annually, arguing that the U.S. “must lead the charge” in protecting vulnerable religious communities.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer praised Trump’s stance, describing him as “a leader unafraid to defend people of faith.”
“God bless President Trump for standing up and protecting Christians around the globe. The United States finally has a leader unafraid to do what’s right,” Emmer said.
Republican Party Chair Lisa McClain labelled the situation in Nigeria “a moral outrage and a crime against humanity,” while Representatives Josh Brecheen, Mary Miller, and Mark Alford called for tougher sanctions and greater diplomatic pressure on the perpetrators of religious attacks.
Rep. Chris Smith, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, said Trump’s action restored a 2020 designation “wrongly lifted by the Biden administration.”
“This action is a powerful step in holding the Nigerian government accountable for its complicity in the unchecked murder, rape, and torture of Christians,” Smith stated.
Other signatories, including Don Bacon, Andy Biggs, Gus Bilirakis, and Tim Walberg, urged the U.S. government to use “every diplomatic and strategic tool” available to ensure accountability for religiously motivated violence.
Trump, announcing the CPC redesignation last Friday on his Truth Social platform, claimed Christianity faced an “existential threat” in Nigeria.
“Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘Country of Particular Concern,’” he wrote, adding that Washington “will not stand by while such atrocities happen.”
However, the Federal Government of Nigeria has rejected the U.S. characterisation. Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the U.S. position stemmed from “misrepresentation and misinformation” about Nigeria’s complex security challenges.
“Our security issues are driven by banditry, insurgency, and socio-economic factors, not religion,” Idris clarified at a press briefing in Abuja.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to religious freedom, insisting that the nation remains a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of equality and liberty for all faiths.
“Portraying Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality. Tolerance and peaceful coexistence remain central to the Nigerian identity,” Tinubu said.
