U.S. Lawmakers Urge State Department to Press Nigeria on Violence
Republican lawmakers demanded greater accountability from the Nigerian government following a congressional hearing on the disproportionate targeting of Christians by terrorist groups.
The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa convened a hearing on November 12 to assess the crisis of ethnoreligious violence, terrorism, and kidnappings in Nigeria. Lawmakers urged the U.S. Department of State to demand greater accountability from the Nigerian government, noting that Christians are disproportionately targeted by Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province, and Fulani Ethnic Militias.
Department of State officials Frank Garcia and Riley Barnes reported some progress through the U.S.-Nigeria Joint Working Group and efforts to target terrorist financial networks. However, Garcia admitted the pace of progress is insufficient and characterized the crisis as an ongoing atrocity. Data from the Nigeria Risk Index showed that while security incidents slightly decreased between January and June 2026 compared to 2025, fatalities increased by nearly 37%.
Lawmakers emphasized that the Country of Particular Concern designation issued by President Donald Trump must lead to concrete results. They called for an end to genocidal killings and the cessation of anti-blasphemy law enforcement used to target Christians.
