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By Daniel Adaji
The United States Congress is pressing for the designation of armed militias operating in Nigeria as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, escalating Washington’s response to what Am@erican lawmakers describe as the “persecution and slaughter of Nigerian Christians.”
In a set of sweeping recommendations led by Rep. Riley Moore, who headed a recent U.S. congressional delegation to Nigeria, lawmakers called for sanctions, visa restrictions, expanded military cooperation, and a bilateral security pact aimed at ending what they term a long-running campaign of violence against Christian communities.
The report seen by Pointblanknews.com on Friday and titled Ending The Persecution of Christians in Nigeria, followed investigations by the United States Congress through the House Appropriations and Foreign Affairs Committees.
It commended US President, Donald Trump for redesignating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), stating that the move would “hold perpetrators of violence to account and compel the Government of Nigeria to protect vulnerable communities and end religious persecution.”
After what it described as decades of bloodshed, the report declared that “Nigeria is the deadliest place in the world to be a Christian.” It stated that Christians face “ongoing violent attacks from well-armed Fulani militias and terrorist groups,” resulting in “the death and murder of tens of thousands of Christians, including pastors and priests, the destruction of thousands of churches and schools, as well as kidnappings.”
The lawmakers alleged that “Blasphemy laws in Nigeria’s northern states are used to silence speech and dissent, target Christians and minorities, and justify so-called ‘convictions’ without due process.”
The findings followed a congressional roundtable, hearings with civil society and government witnesses, and a fact-finding visit to Nigeria by the Moore-led delegation.
At the heart of the recommendations is a call to “Require a National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Nigeria’s sectarian and communal violence, and review classifying Fulani militia groups with links to terror groups, as well as other groups conducting organized campaigns of violence that threaten the United States, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.”
Lawmakers also urged Washington to “Implement sanctions on groups and individuals who participate in, or tolerate violence against, Christians” and to “Continue visa restrictions for perpetrators involved in Christian violence and violations of religious freedom.”
The report called for invoking and publicly announcing CPC Presidential Directives “to name and shame perpetrators of violence.”
Beyond punitive measures, Congress proposed a bilateral agreement requiring commitments by Abuja to co-fund humanitarian assistance, support early-warning mechanisms to prevent attacks, deploy capable security forces to the Middle Belt, and “Remove Fulani militias from confiscated, productive farmland and enable the voluntary return of displaced communities to their homes.”
It also pressed for “Demand the repeal of sharia codes and criminal anti-blasphemy laws,” expanded counterterrorism cooperation, enhanced financial intelligence to disrupt terrorist financing, and greater oversight of U.S. aid.
The renewed push comes amid sustained international scrutiny of sectarian violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and northern regions. Christian advocacy groups have long described the killings and displacement as genocide, while Nigerian authorities have often framed the crisis as farmer-herder clashes and broader insecurity.
In recent years, Washington has deepened security engagement with Abuja. The U.S. has supported Nigeria with intelligence sharing, defense sales, and counterterrorism cooperation. American forces have conducted limited operations in the region targeting extremist threats, including reported strikes on terrorist camps during the Christmas period in 2025.
The U.S. has also dispatched congressional and military delegations to Nigeria. In addition to Moore’s visit, approximately 100 U.S. military personnel were recently deployed to provide advisory and operational support to the Nigerian military in counterterrorism efforts.
Lawmakers argued that this moment presents, in their words, “a once-in-a-generation opportunity for real change to address this two-decades-long crisis.”
While centered on religious freedom, the recommendations frame Nigeria as a critical U.S. partner whose stability affects broader regional security. The report urged both countries “to redefine a new strategic partnership to make America – and Nigeria, safer, stronger, and more prosperous.”
It also called for countering “the hostile foreign exploitation of Chinese illegal mining operations and their destabilizing practice of paying protection money to Fulani militias,” expanding U.S. Development Finance Corporation investments, improving Foreign Military Sales processes, and enlisting allies such as France, Hungary, and the United Kingdom.