The United States House Subcommittee on Africa have held a public hearing to review President Donald Trump’s recent redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern. Recall that the status immediately placed the country under increased scrutiny for alleged religious freedom violations.
The hearing, chaired by Representative Chris Smith, convened at 5 p.m. in Washington, DC, and included senior US State Department officials and Nigerian religious leaders.
Speaking during the session, Representative John James, former chairman of the Africa Subcommittee and now a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said that the designation is necessary to tackle the worsening crisis confronting Nigerian Christians.
According to him, religious persecution is connected to political repression and weakening institutions in Nigeria, and Nnamdi Kanu’s case is proof because Nigeria’s Court of Appeal struck down the charges against him and ordered his release in 2022.
John stated that he has visited and witnessed the religious crisis in Nigeria, so he can confirm that the nation is currently one of the deadliest places to live as a Christian.
“Nigeria is facing one of the gravest religious freedom crises in the world. I have visited and have seen firsthand the direness of the conditions in what is now the deadliest place on earth to be a Christian.
Since 2019, nearly 17,000 Christians have been killed. In the first seven months of this year alone, hundreds more were murdered.
These are not isolated tragedies, but a sustained pattern of religiously motivated violence, often ignored or even enabled by the Nigerian government.
Extremist groups like Boko Haram, Fulani militants, and ISIS West Africa attack often without any meaningful intervention from authorities.
The lack of response has created an atmosphere of impunity where Christians continue to live in constant threat and fear,” he said.
James referenced the detention of Nnamdi Kanu, stressing that the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu proves that targeting Christians is fair game in Nigeria.
He concluded by saying that the selective enforcement of the rule of law cannot be allowed to continue in the country.
“Religious persecution is tied to political repression and weakening institutions in Nigeria. The detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is a clear example.
In 2022, Nigeria’s Court of Appeals struck down the charges against him and ordered his release.
The UN Working Group for Arbitrary Detention has also called for his unconditional release, yet he remains in solitary confinement in deteriorating health and recently had to represent himself in court.
Nigeria has signalled that the law is optional and targeting Christians is fair game. Just hours ago this morning, despite the pleas and cries of Nigerian people and many Nigerian lawmakers, Kanu was convicted on all charges.
I do not believe that the government of Nigeria has been infiltrated by jihadists.
Because when you look at the selective enforcement of the rule of law, one might question if there is any favouritism or looking the other way when groups are being specifically targeted, despite the fact, as my colleague Moore mentioned, not enforcing the rule of law about weapons.
My next question is, how has the Nigerian government reacted since President Trump’s country of particular concern designation announcement?” he added.
