Thirty-one members of the United States Congress have praised President Donald Trump for restoring Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).
The lawmakers described Trump’s move as a bold and moral step to address what they called the ongoing persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
Their joint statement, led by Rep. Robert Aderholt, was released to the media on Thursday.
Aderholt said Trump’s action renewed hope for Nigerian Christians and reaffirmed America’s role in defending global religious freedom. He claimed that extremist groups in Nigeria kill thousands of Christians yearly and urged the U.S. to take the lead in stopping the violence.
Other U.S. lawmakers, including Tom Emmer and Lisa McClain, also commended Trump’s courage, describing the killings in Nigeria as a crime against humanity. They called for stronger U.S. sanctions and tougher measures against those behind religious violence.
Rep. Chris Smith, head of the House Subcommittee on Africa, said the move corrected what he called the wrong decision of the Biden administration to remove Nigeria from the CPC list in 2020.
Trump had announced the decision last Friday on his Truth Social page, claiming that Christianity in Nigeria faces an existential threat. He said radical Islamists were behind the killings and vowed that Washington would not ignore such atrocities.
Rep. Riley Moore, who first raised the issue in Congress, said Trump’s action showed true leadership and a clear moral stance.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has dismissed the U.S. claims, saying the country’s conflicts are not based on religion. Information Minister Mohammed Idris told reporters that Nigeria’s security challenges stem from banditry, insurgency, and economic hardship, not religious discrimination.
President Bola Tinubu also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to religious freedom, saying the country remains a democracy that guarantees liberty and equality for all faiths. He said portraying Nigeria as intolerant does not reflect the reality, adding that religious coexistence remains central to the nation’s identity.
