U.S. Rep. Chris Smith held a hearing on religious persecution in Nigeria, appealing for the country’s redesignation as a “Country of Particular Concern.” Witnesses highlighted the ongoing violence, particularly against Christians by militant groups, and criticized the U.S. government’s reversal of Nigeria’s previous designation. Smith emphasized the urgent need for renewed legislative action to assist persecuted Christians in Nigeria.
U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, hosted a congressional hearing focused on the ongoing religious freedom violations in Nigeria. He strongly urged Secretary Marco Rubio to redesignate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” a status previously granted by the Trump administration to assist persecuted Christians in the region.
Prominent witnesses, including Bishop Wilfred Anagbe from the diocese of Makurdi, testified about the grave situation in Nigeria. Anagbe stated that “Militant Fulani herdsmen are terrorists…they kill and boast about it, they kidnap and rape,” reflecting a troubling lack of accountability from Nigerian officials. Smith reiterated concerns over the current U.S. administration’s reversal of Nigeria’s designation as a CPC.
In December 2020, Nigeria was designated a CPC by President Trump, a decision rescinded by Secretary Blinken in November 2021, inciting outrage among Nigerian religious leaders. Smith, author of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, emphasized that Nigeria’s government has not adequately addressed religious persecution despite constitutional guarantees of religious freedom.
Smith highlighted the alarming statistics of religious violence in Nigeria, reporting that more than 52,000 Christians and about 34,000 moderate Muslims have been killed since 2009 due to Islamist extremism. This violence has displaced around five million Nigerians, primarily Christians, into Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) and regional refugee camps.
Smith’s resolution H. Res. 82, which sought to prompt the Biden Administration to restore Nigeria’s CPC status, was passed by the House Foreign Affairs Committee but never made it to the House floor. He recently renewed his efforts with legislation H.Res. 220, stating, “Help can’t come fast enough.”
The hearing, titled “Conflict and Persecution in Nigeria: The Case for a CPC Designation,” hosted several experts, including Nina Shea from the Hudson Institute, Tony Perkins, and Bishop Anagbe. Anagbe detailed a long-term strategy targeting Christians in Nigeria, asserting that actions against them are carried out with government complicity.
Director Shea emphasized Nigeria’s status as the world’s deadliest country for Christians, noting that militant Fulani herders pose a significant threat. Perkins corroborated this by stressing that mainstream media often downplays the escalating violence attributed to radical Islamist groups, which predominantly target Christians.
The congressional hearing underscored grave concerns regarding the ongoing persecution of Christians in Nigeria. U.S. Representative Chris Smith’s appeal for Nigeria’s redesignation as a Country of Particular Concern aims to restore attention to this humanitarian crisis. With alarming statistics on religiously motivated violence, the need for renewed advocacy and legislative action is clear as Nigeria continues to experience severe threats to religious freedom.
Original Source: anglican.ink
