Tinubu Govt Faces US Scrutiny As Congress Sets Hearing On Alleged Christian Persecution In Nigeria

The administration of President Bola Tinubu is set to face renewed international scrutiny as the United States Congress prepares to investigate Nigeria’s efforts to address alleged persecution and killings of Christians in parts of the country.

The United States House of Representatives has scheduled a congressional hearing for Thursday, November 12, 2026, to examine the Nigerian government’s response to religious violence, particularly attacks on Christian communities and insecurity in the Middle Belt.

The hearing, which will commence at 11 a.m. at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C., will also be streamed live on YouTube.

The session will be chaired by Chris Smith, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, following an announcement by his office on Monday.

Titled ‘One Year Later: Assessing Nigeria’s Efforts to Protect Christians and Secure the Middle Belt’, the hearing is expected to evaluate measures taken by the Nigerian government over the past year to protect vulnerable communities and bring perpetrators of religiously motivated violence to justice.

According to the announcement, lawmakers will assess Nigeria’s progress in tackling attacks attributed to extremist groups, including Boko Haram, as well as efforts to strengthen security across the Middle Belt.
Two panels of witnesses are expected to appear before the lawmakers.

The first panel will feature Frank Garcia, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, and Riley Barnes, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour.

The second panel will comprise Nina Shea of the Hudson Institute, Ryan Brown, Chief Executive Officer of Open Doors US, and Oge Onubogu of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

The lawmakers are also expected to examine possible measures the United States could adopt to compel Nigerian authorities to take stronger action against violence targeting Christians and non-radical Muslim communities.

The planned hearing comes almost a year after US President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over allegations of widespread religious persecution.

Trump had initially placed Nigeria on the list in 2020, but former President Joe Biden removed the country from the designation after assuming office.

However, on October 31, 2025, Trump restored Nigeria’s status, alleging that Christianity was facing an existential threat and accusing radical Islamist groups of killing thousands of Christians.

The US president subsequently threatened to withdraw American assistance to Nigeria and warned of possible military intervention if the Federal Government failed to address the killings.

In a strongly worded statement on November 1, 2025, Trump said: “If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the USA will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria.”

He further warned that the United States could launch military action against terrorist groups operating in the country.

Trump added: “I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action.”

Despite the diplomatic tensions generated by the allegations, Nigeria and the United States have since established military cooperation aimed at combating terrorist organisations operating in the country’s northern region.

The forthcoming congressional hearing is expected to provide another opportunity for US lawmakers to assess Nigeria’s security situation, the protection of religious communities and the effectiveness of the Tinubu administration’s response to persistent attacks.