U.S imposes visa restrictions on Nigerians over mass killings, alleged violence against Christians

U.S imposes visa restrictions on Nigerians over mass killings, alleged violence against Christians

The United States has announced new visa restrictions targeting Nigerians and their family members implicated in mass killings and violence against Christians amid Nigeria’s deepening security crisis, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday.

The attacks, part of Nigeria’s longstanding and complex insecurity, recently drew global attention after U.S. President Donald Trump condemned what he described as the “killing of Christians” by “radical Islamists” in the West African nation. Trump last month also revealed he had directed the Pentagon to begin planning possible military action in Nigeria over rising claims of Christian persecution.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement on X that Washington is “taking decisive action” against “radical Islamic terrorists, Fulani militias, and other violent actors” responsible for religiously targeted violence in Nigeria and elsewhere. Rubio added that the policy aligns with a new provision under the Immigration and Nationality Act and will also apply to foreign governments and individuals involved in religious freedom violations.

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The U.S. move follows Nigeria’s designation as a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act, placing it alongside nations such as China, Iran, North Korea, and Pakistan.

While details of how the latest visa restrictions will be enforced remain unclear, the State Department already possesses authority to bar entry to individuals implicated in human rights abuses.

Nigeria’s security landscape remains multifaceted, with violence driven by religious extremism, farmer-herder conflicts, communal disputes, separatist movements, and deadly criminal gangs. The country of 220 million people is almost evenly split between Christians and Muslims, and both groups have been targeted in various attacks.

In addition to long-running assaults by Boko Haram, which seeks to impose its hardline interpretation of Islamic law, central Nigeria has seen a surge in kidnappings for ransom by heavily armed criminal groups.

U.S imposes visa restrictions on Nigerians over mass killings, alleged violence against Christians