31 US lawmakers praise Trump for reinstating Nigeria on religious freedom watchlist

US Lawmakers Praise Trump for Reinstating Nigeria on Religious Freedom Watchlist

Thirty-one members of the United States Congress have applauded former President Donald Trump for restoring Nigeria’s designation as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC), a classification reserved for governments accused of severe violations of religious freedom.

The commendation was contained in a joint statement issued Tuesday by Rep. Robert Aderholt, Chairman of the House Values Action Team, and made public on Thursday.

Aderholt described Trump’s decision as “a bold and moral step” aimed at addressing what he called the ongoing persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

“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,” Aderholt said.

He claimed that extremist attacks have claimed “thousands of Christian lives each year” and urged the U.S. to “lead the charge” in defending religious minorities.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer also praised the move, saying Trump had shown “courage to defend people of faith.”

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“God bless President Trump for standing up and protecting Christians around the globe,” Emmer said.

Republican National Committee Chair Lisa McClain described the killings in Nigeria as “a moral outrage and a crime against humanity,” while several lawmakers including Josh Brecheen, Mary Miller and Mark Alford called for tougher U.S. sanctions against perpetrators of religious violence.

Rep. Chris Smith, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, said redesignating Nigeria corrected what he termed the “wrongly lifted” CPC status under the Biden administration.

“This action is a powerful step in holding the Nigerian government accountable,” Smith said.

Trump had announced the reinstatement last Friday on his Truth Social platform, warning that Christianity faced an “existential threat” in Nigeria.

However, the Nigerian government has dismissed the U.S. assessment, insisting that the country’s security crisis is not religiously motivated.

Nigeria’s Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, said in Abuja on Wednesday that the claim of Christian persecution was based on “misrepresentation and misinformation.”

“Our security issues are driven by banditry, insurgency, and socio-economic factors, not religion,” he said.

President Bola Tinubu also rejected suggestions that Nigeria is hostile to religious freedom.

“Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty,” Tinubu said, adding that interfaith tolerance “remains central to the Nigerian identity.”

31 US lawmakers praise Trump for reinstating Nigeria on religious freedom watchlist