The United States Congress is preparing to review long-standing claims of Christian persecution in Nigeria, with lawmakers scheduled to hold a major hearing on the issue this Thursday in Washington, D.C.
The session will be led by Chris Smith, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa. Smith has been one of the leading voices in Congress raising concerns about religious violence in Nigeria, and he previously introduced a resolution identifying the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore as groups allegedly involved in attacks on Christian communities.
In that resolution, he recommended sanctions against individuals linked to both groups, including visa restrictions and the freezing of assets. The document also urged the U.S. government to classify what it described as “Fulani-Ethnic Militias” in Benue and Plateau states as Entities of Particular Concern (EPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act.
Thursday’s hearing is expected to examine several key issues: the reported targeting of Christian populations by extremist groups, the implications of former President Donald Trump’s decision to re-designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), and what actions the U.S. State Department should consider in response to claims of inadequate protection from Nigerian authorities.
According to information released by Smith’s office, the first panel of witnesses will feature senior U.S. officials, including Jonathan Pratt, a senior bureau official from the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, and Jacob McGee, a deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour.
Joining them on a second panel will be experts and religious leaders such as Nina Shea of the Centre for Religious Freedom; Wilfred Anagbe, the bishop of the Makurdi Diocese; and Oge Onubogu, director and senior fellow at the Africa Programme of the Center for Strategic & International Studies—each expected to offer deeper insight into the situation on the ground and the broader security and human rights concerns surrounding it.
