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Washington, DC – Nearly three weeks since President Trump designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), there has been an escalation in violence, highlighting the relevance of the designation. USCIRF calls for the U.S. government to develop a robust plan with the Nigerian government to secure freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), hold perpetrators that violate religious freedom to account, and to support efforts to rescue those held captive because of their faith.
“USCIRF strongly condemns the killings and kidnappings at the Christ Apostolic Church in Kwara State,” said USCIRF Chair Vicky Hartzler. “It is imperative that the U.S. Government compel the Nigerian government to take immediate steps to prevent such attacks, allowing all Nigerians to safely attend religious services.”
The church attack and kidnappings serve as a stark reminder of the violent abductions that have broadly plagued religious communities across Nigeria. Following the abduction of 276 schoolgirls in Chibok in 2014 and 110 in Dapchi in 2018, there have been an ongoing series of similar school attacks. Religiously motivated sexual violence and enslavement of women and girls is rampant, as exemplified in the case of Leah Sharibu highlighted on USCIRF's Victims List. Recently, gunmen seized over 100 individuals, mostly women and children, from a mosque in Zamfara State in August and three Muslim individuals at a mosque in Kwara State in September.
“Violent attacks against religious communities in Nigeria have become tragically commonplace, affecting Christians, Muslims, practitioners of traditional African religions, and others,” said USCIRF Vice Chair Asif Mahmood. “The Nigerian government has not adequately addressed the violence, resulting in a pervasive climate of fear that deters Nigerians of all religious backgrounds from openly practicing their faith.”
USCIRF has recommended Nigeria for CPC designation since 2009 for engaging in and tolerating particularly severe religious freedom violations. USCIRF held a hearing in May on “Governance in Nigeria: A Foundation for Securing Freedom of Religion or Belief” and released a podcast episode in June on the impact of blasphemy laws on Nigerian society. In July, USCIRF published a comprehensive country update on religious freedom concerns in Nigeria.
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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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