The United States Congress is preparing to convene another hearing on allegations of Christian genocide in Nigeria on Wednesday, with multiple witnesses expected to appear before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The session, themed “Defending Religious Freedom Around the World,” will be jointly organised by the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Africa and the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.
Lawmakers are expected to hear testimonies focused on religious freedom challenges in several regions, with Nigeria drawing particular attention.
Ahead of the hearing, written testimonies submitted by the witnesses and published on the committee’s website warned that Nigeria is drifting toward large-scale Christian–Muslim violence. The submissions paint a picture of rising insecurity and deepening religious tensions within the country.
Those scheduled to testify include former United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback; Grace Drexel, the daughter of Pastor Ezra Jin; and Dr Stephen F. Schneck, a former chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.
In his prepared remarks released before the session, Brownback alleged that extremist organisations are deliberately focusing on Nigeria as part of a broader religious campaign.
“Radical, militant Islam continues its purification efforts throughout the MENA region and beyond. Syria and Nigeria are key focus areas of opportunity for them in their quest for dominance, excluding all other faiths, even others within Islam,” he said.
Brownback also cautioned that religious violence is intensifying across the African continent, warning of dangerous trends already taking shape.
“Early warning signs of a Muslim-on-Christian war are brewing across Africa,” he said, adding that “Nigeria is the deadliest place on the planet to be a Christian.”
He further alleged that Nigeria’s international alliances could complicate the situation, claiming that “at the same time, the Nigerian government is seeking and receiving support from China, Russia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.”
In a separate submission, Schneck argued that fragile governance structures and persistent insecurity often create fertile ground for religious persecution.
“Failing or failed states are locations for the emergence or fostering of militarized groups—insurgent, ethnic, or religious—that can pose a threat to freedom of religion,” he said.
He added that criminal activities thrive in such environments and frequently target religious groups.
“Banditry and organized crime also target religious communities in such circumstances.”
According to Schneck, Nigeria is already among countries where these warning signs are clearly visible.
“Nigeria, Syria, and Sudan are current examples of such conditions threatening freedom of religion or belief. Both Nigeria and Syria are experiencing high levels of societal insecurity and their respective governments have been unable to halt widespread violence against communities of faith,” he said.
Schneck also expressed concern about delays by the United States Department of State in publishing its International Religious Freedom reports, as well as the lack of updated designations for countries of concern.
“The State Department has still not made its designations of Countries of Particular Concern, Special Watch List, or Entities of Particular Concern. President Biden’s 2023 designations were to have lapsed at the end of 2025,” he said.
He further noted that Nigeria currently stands alone on the list of designated countries.
“Apparently, Nigeria, thanks to its unique designation by President Trump, is the only country in the world currently designated as a Country of Particular Concern and there are no designated Special Watch List countries or Entities of Particular Concern.
“This is very concerning at a time when countries like China and Iran are engaged in ever more repressive actions against people of faith,” Schneck stated.
Nigeria was redesignated in 2025 by the United States as a Country of Particular Concern over alleged violations of religious freedom, a move that came alongside warnings of potential US military intervention. Later that year, the US carried out air strikes on terrorist hideouts in Sokoto on Christmas Day.
Despite these claims, the Federal Government of Nigeria has consistently rejected allegations of systematic persecution of Christians, maintaining that insecurity affects citizens across all religious backgrounds.
On November 20, 2025, the US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, hosted Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, at the Pentagon, where both sides discussed coordinated approaches to tackling Nigeria’s security challenges.
In December, Ribadu also revealed that a delegation from the US Congress visited Abuja as part of ongoing security engagements between the two countries. According to the Office of the National Security Adviser, talks during the visit centred on “counter-terrorism cooperation, regional stability,” and efforts to “strengthen the strategic security partnership between Nigeria and the United States.”
What you should know
The upcoming US congressional hearing signals renewed international scrutiny of Nigeria’s security and religious freedom situation.
Witnesses are expected to argue that weak governance, insecurity, and extremist violence are placing religious communities at risk, particularly Christians. While the US has redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, Nigerian authorities continue to reject claims of religious persecution, insisting the crisis affects all citizens regardless of faith.
The issue remains a sensitive diplomatic and security concern between both nations.
