By Emmanuel Nduka Obisue
A group of Republican senators has called on President Donald Trump to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), citing escalating violence and terrorism against Christians and other religious minorities.
In a letter signed by Ted Budd, Pete Ricketts, Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz, and James Lankford, and addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the lawmakers urged the administration to invoke presidential authority under the International Religious Freedom Act.
“We write to urge you to consider designating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) pursuant to the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) to give the President additional authority to take specific actions to address the continued unchecked acts of violence and terrorism against religious minorities perpetrated by nonstate actors in Nigeria,” the senators said.
The letter criticized former President Joe Biden’s decision to delist Nigeria as a CPC in March 2021. The lawmakers argued that attacks on Christians have worsened since then, making the country “the most dangerous place to practice Christianity in the world”.
“As you know, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo designated Nigeria as a CPC in December 2020, for the ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom perpetrated within its borders, particularly by nonstate actors such as Boko Haram and other terrorist groups,” the senators wrote.
They continued, “While Secretary of State Antony Blinken removed Nigeria from the CPC list in 2021, on March 25, 2025, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recommended that Nigeria be placed once again on the CPC list, citing several incidents of violence and terrorism against religious minorities”.
To strengthen their case, the lawmakers cited high-profile incidents, including the abduction of 160 Christian children by Ansaru militants in May 2024, the killing of 10 farmers by bandits in Niger State, and an attack in Benue that left 70 Christians dead the same year. They also referenced a June 2025 assault in Benue that claimed dozens of lives.
The senators noted reports that 3,100 of the 4,476 Christians killed worldwide in 2024 were Nigerians, reinforcing their appeal for Nigeria’s immediate redesignation as a CPC.
