By Ayo Ayodele
A coalition of top American politicians, religious freedom advocates, and civic leaders has written to United States President Donald Trump, urging him to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA), citing what they describe as systematic persecution of Christians and the Nigerian government’s failure to protect them.
In a letter addressed to Trump at the White House, the group accused the Nigerian government of “barely lifting a finger” to stop violent attacks on rural Christian communities, particularly in the Middle Belt region.
They warned that Nigeria’s leadership has not only tolerated but also enforced laws that undermine religious liberty, including blasphemy statutes that carry harsh prison sentences and even the death penalty.
According to the letter, while the Nigerian government continues to combat northern terror groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP, it allegedly allows militant Fulani herders to attack defenseless Christian farmers “with complete impunity.”
“With cries of Allahu Akbar and wielding AK-47s, they invade peaceful Christian farming areas, massacre families, burn homes and harvests, and drive millions of Christians from their ancestral lands,” the letter states.
Citing reports by the Inter Society on Civil Rights and Rule of Law, the signatories claimed that 52,000 Christians have been killed and over 20,000 churches destroyed in Nigeria since 2009. They also referenced Open Doors, a global Christian advocacy group, which ranks Nigeria as the world’s deadliest country for Christians.
“In Benue State alone, 900 Christians have been reported killed to date this year,” the letter added, quoting Catholic Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, who testified before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Africa in March 2025. “The experience of Christians in Nigeria can be summed up as a Church under Islamist extermination,” he said.
Shortly after his testimony, the bishop’s home village was attacked by Fulani militants, leaving 12 of his relatives dead. In June, another attack in Benue claimed over 200 Christian lives — a massacre that Pope Leo XIV described as committed “with extreme cruelty.”
The signatories criticized the Biden administration’s 2021 decision to remove Nigeria from the CPC list, calling it a “downgrade” that has emboldened extremists and undermined U.S. credibility on religious freedom. They rejected the U.S. State Department’s 2023 report, which attributed the violence to climate change and competition over resources, dismissing it as a “neo-Marxist theory” that ignores religious motives.
They also stressed that the CPC designation does not automatically trigger sanctions but instead allows for a range of policy responses, including diplomatic engagement, sanctions waivers, or targeted aid restrictions.
“Assigning only Special Watch List status would be a weak and legally inadequate response,” they warned. “Such a move would dishonor religious freedom as a core pillar of U.S. foreign policy.”
The letter referenced ongoing efforts by Senator Ted Cruz and Representative Chris Smith, who have introduced bills calling for Nigeria’s redesignation as a CPC. Even non-religious commentators such as talk show host Bill Maher, the group noted, have urged stronger U.S. action against what he called the “systematic killing of Christians in Nigeria.”
The signatories urged Trump to act “without further delay,” asserting that the situation in Nigeria amounts to a humanitarian and moral crisis.
What CPC designation means under US laws
Under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, the United States designates countries as Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) when their governments engage in or tolerate “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.”
The designation empowers Washington to pursue diplomatic pressure, sanctions, or targeted restrictions, but it does not automatically mandate punitive measures. The U.S. President may grant waivers or use the status to encourage reforms.
Nigeria was first placed on the CPC list in 2020 under the Trump administration but was removed in 2021 by President Biden’s State Department — a decision that has drawn criticism from U.S. lawmakers and Christian advocacy groups who argue that violence against Christians has only worsened.
The signatories are:
1. Nina Shea, Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Religious Freedom, Hudson Institute
2. Frank Wolf, Former U.S. Congressman (VA), 1981–2015
3. Jim Daly, President and CEO, Focus on the Family
4. Tony Perkins, President, Family Research Council; Former Chair, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
5. Travis Weber, Vice President for Policy and Government Affairs, Family Research Council
6. Kelsey Reinhardt, President and CEO, Catholic Vote
7. Penny Nance, CEO and President, Concerned Women for America
8. Mary Ann Glendon, Professor of Law Emerita, Harvard University
9. Rev. Ebuka Mbanude, Director, Office of Evangelization, Archdiocese of Washington
10. Mark Tooley, President, Institute on Religion and Democracy
11. Roger Severino, Vice President, Domestic Policy, The Heritage Foundation
12. Jenny Noyes, Executive Director, New Wineskins Missions Network
13. Richard Ghazal, Esq., Executive Director, In Defense of Christians
14. Scott Morgan, Co-Chair, Africa Working Group, IRF Roundtable
15. Dr. Robert Fastiggi, Professor of Dogmatic Theology, Sacred Heart Major Seminary
16. Patricia Streeter, Co-Leader, Anglican Persecuted Church Network
17. Luke Moon, Executive Director, Philos Project
18. Robert Royal, Editor-in-Chief, The Catholic Thing; President, Faith & Reason Institute
19. Kristen A. Ullman, President, Eagle Forum
20. Fr. Santhosh George, Vicar Provincial, Trinitarians Religious Order (Immaculate Heart of Mary Province for USA, Mexico, and Philippines)
21. Ann Buwalda, Executive Director, Jubilee Campaign USA, Inc.
22. Maureen Ferguson, Commissioner, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (signing in personal capacity)