US Congress: Nigeria ‘Deadliest Place to Be a Christian’

• Seeks bilateral agreement against insecurity, religious violence
• Wants ‘Fulani militias’ removed from confiscated productive farmlands to allow voluntary return of displaced communities to their homes

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The United States Congress has sharply escalated its stance on Nigeria’s security crisis, describing the country as the “deadliest place in the world to be a Christian” and urging sweeping policy measures that extend beyond religious violence to include concerns about Chinese ‘illegal’ mining operations which pay militias money for protection, and Russian military influence.

The position is contained in a joint report delivered to the White House by the U.S. House Appropriations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee after months of hearings, expert testimony and bipartisan congressional visits to Nigeria.

The submission follows President Donald Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over religious freedom violations, a move that allows Washington to impose tougher diplomatic and economic consequences.

Lawmakers argue that extremist networks have exploited governance gaps and weak enforcement mechanisms to carry out sustained attacks against Christian communities, particularly in rural and agrarian regions.

They warned that continued inaction risks emboldening terrorist actors, deepening humanitarian crises, and undermining U.S. strategic interests in West Africa.

The report recommends: A bilateral U.S.–Nigeria security agreement focused on dismantling jihadist networks and protecting vulnerable communities; Enforcement of appropriations provisions that could withhold certain U.S. assistance pending measurable action against religious violence; Targeted sanctions and visa bans on individuals and entities linked to persecution; Public invocation of CPC presidential directives to name perpetrators.

A section of the report calls for the removal of what it describes as “Fulani militias” from confiscated productive farmlands, so that displaced communities can voluntarily return to their homes.

Lawmakers insist that restoring land rights and enabling the voluntary return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) must be central to any durable peace strategy. They also suggest reviewing economic leverage, including agricultural trade measures, to compel armed groups to disarm.

Nigeria’s farmer-herder crisis, especially in the Middle Belt, has long been driven by land disputes, climate pressures, ethnic tensions and weak local governance — though U.S. lawmakers frame the pattern of violence as increasingly religiously targeted.

Beyond religious persecution, the report raises the alarm about the growing footprint of Chinese mining interests in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.

Lawmakers expressed concern that poorly regulated mining operations — particularly in lithium and other strategic minerals — may be contributing to environmental degradation, illegal armed protection networks, and local insecurity in mining communities.

It also recommended supporting the new ministry of Livestock, ranching plans and meaningful and reform efforts

The report recommends tighter scrutiny of Chinese-linked extractive activities, enhanced transparency in mining licenses, and safeguards to prevent foreign commercial interests from exacerbating instability.

While the report does not accuse Beijing directly of sponsoring violence, it framed China’s expanding economic influence as a strategic concern intersecting with governance weaknesses in Nigeria’s resource-rich regions.

The committees also urged Nigeria to reconsider its defense procurement relationships with Moscow, arguing that continued reliance on Russian military equipment risks undermining deeper U.S.–Nigeria security cooperation.

Lawmakers recommended that Nigeria diversify toward U.S. defense systems and reduce strategic dependence on Russia, especially at a time of heightened global geopolitical competition.

The report framed the broader insecurity landscape as vulnerable to exploitation by adversarial powers seeking influence in West Africa.

The congressional findings place Nigeria at a sensitive diplomatic crossroads. As Africa’s largest economy and a key regional power, Nigeria remains an important U.S. partner in counterterrorism and trade. However, Washington’s sharpened tone signals growing impatience with what lawmakers describe as insufficient accountability and reform.

Supporters of the report argue that defending religious liberty and confronting extremist violence require decisive leadership and leverage.

Critics, however, cautioned that Nigeria’s security crisis is complex — involving terrorism, banditry, communal conflicts, illegal mining, economic hardship and governance deficits that cannot be reduced to a single narrative.

With bipartisan backing and White House support, the report marks one of the most assertive U.S. congressional interventions in Nigeria’s internal security challenges in recent years — widening the focus from religious persecution to great-power competition, resource control, and the broader struggle for stability in West Africa.