A report presented to the White House by two US House Committees has renewed claims that Christians in Nigeria face sustained religious persecution, a characterisation Nigerian authorities have repeatedly disputed.
The document was submitted on Monday by the US House Committees on Appropriations and Foreign Affairs. It urges expanded security cooperation between the United States and Nigeria and calls for stronger measures to protect Christian communities from armed groups.
The report describes Nigeria as the “deadliest country to be Christian” and claims that violent attacks by armed groups — including what it refers to as Fulani militias and terrorist organisations — have resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, destruction of churches and schools, and widespread kidnappings.
US Republican lawmaker Riley Moore announced the presentation of the report, saying it focused on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
The document also criticises blasphemy laws in some northern Nigerian states, arguing that they are used to suppress dissent and target Christians and minority groups.
The report calls for sanctions against individuals and entities accused of supporting extremist violence, including Chinese nationals allegedly involved in illegal mining in Nigeria.
In addition, it calls on Nigeria to deepen military cooperation with the United States, including transitioning from Russian-made military equipment to American systems through sales and financing arrangements.
The Nigerian government have consistently maintained that the country’s security crisis is complex and not a campaign against any single religious group, but a violence that stems from insurgency, banditry, communal disputes and organised crime, affecting people of different faiths.