By Emmanuel Nduka Obisue
A United States lawmaker, Bill Huizenga, has criticised the President Bola Tinubu administration for what he described as a lacklustre response to worsening religious and communal violence across Nigeria.
Huizenga spoke on Thursday before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Africa during its review of President Donald Trump’s decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, a classification tied to allegations of systematic attacks on Christians.
The congressman faulted the Nigerian delegation to Washington, led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, accusing them of attempting to downplay the severity of the killings.
He said he found it troubling that despite widespread reports of violence, officials from Abuja continued to present what he considered a sanitised account of the crisis. According to him, Nigerians living in the U.S., missionaries, and families with ties to the country confirm that attacks targeting Christians, moderate Muslims, and rural communities remain rampant.
Huizenga recalled the Christmas Eve 2023 massacre in which 200 people were killed, noting that the situation had not improved in the years since. He questioned whether there were comparable retaliatory attacks by Christians against Muslims, arguing that the violence appeared largely one-sided and driven by extremist groups in northern regions.
The congressional review comes days after armed men stormed a Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State, killing three worshippers and abducting several congregants, including the presiding pastor. In Kebbi State, suspected bandits also kidnapped 25 female students from Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, killing the school’s principal during the raid.
The fresh wave of attacks has intensified scrutiny of the Nigerian government’s security strategy, with growing calls, both locally and internationally, for a more decisive and coordinated response to protect vulnerable communities.
