US lawmaker presses for Nigeria’s to be included on religious persecution list

A U.S. lawmaker in the House of Representatives, Christopher Smith, has urged the U.S. Department of State to include Nigeria in the list of “Countries of Particular Concern” due to escalating cases of religious persecution, including blasphemy-related killings.

Smith, addressing the parliament on December 12, highlighted Nigeria’s alarming record of religious persecution, attributing 90 percent of such cases worldwide to the country.

Citing grave concerns, Smith emphasised that the religious persecution, largely carried out by Fulani Muslim herders, often goes unchecked, resulting in killings, abductions, and imprisonment. He urged urgent action in line with the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.

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Smith’s letter to the Department of State read, “As religious freedom advocates and proponents, and leaders of grassroots organisations with millions of American members, we appeal to you to urgently respond to the Department of State’s failure to adequately address egregious, systematic, and ongoing religious persecution in Nigeria, as required by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998.

“We specifically urge Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern under the IRFA and the appointment of a special envoy for Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region.

“Additionally, we urge you to support and cosponsor the bi-partisan legislation authored by Rep. Chris Smith and Rep. Henry Cuellar House Resolution 82, which calls for the State Department to carry out these two steps.

“A staggering 90 percent of all the Christians killed for their faith worldwide last year were killed in Nigeria, according to Open Doors, an increase from the 80 percent it reported in 2021. Over 5,000 Nigerian Christians are reported to have been killed for their faith in 2022.

“Most of this slaughter is now carried out by militants within the Fulani Muslim herder population, who have been allowed to act with impunity.

While some Muslims have also been killed by the same forces, the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa found that, from October 2019 to September 2022, Christians in Nigeria were 7.6 times more likely to be killed and six times more likely to be abducted than Muslims by terrorist and militia groups, when taking into account their population’s proportions in Nigeria’s states.”

Highlighting the harrowing statistics, Smith stressed the increasing fatalities among Christians, with over 5,000 reported deaths in 2022 alone.

He pointed out the alarming disparity, citing that Christians were significantly more likely to be killed or abducted than Muslims by militant groups, even though both communities faced violence.

Smith highlighted specific instances of religious persecution, including the application of Islamic blasphemy laws resulting in death sentences and prolonged imprisonments.

Expressing apprehension, he warned that Nigeria’s unchecked religious persecution could extend its impact to neighbouring African countries due to Nigeria’s substantial influence in the region.

“As Africa’s most populous country and its largest economy, Nigeria wields significant influence in Sub-Saharan Africa. By allowing religious persecution to proliferate within its borders, Nigeria is compounding already-heightened regional insecurity. Both American interests and the International Religious Freedom Act require a response,” Smith cautioned.