Nigeria’s religious freedom record is again under scrutiny in Washington, with United States lawmaker, Congressman Riley Moore, opposing any move to remove the country from the United States’ Country of Particular Concern (CPC), list.
Moore says continued attacks on Christian communities, particularly in the Middle Belt, make retaining the designation necessary.
Moore made the position known while reacting to comments by the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, following a deadly attack in Plateau State that reportedly left more than 24 people dead, with several others still missing.
He said, “We absolutely CANNOT remove the CPC designation from Nigeria while radical Islamic terrorists continue this horrific violence against Christians”.
He also called on the Nigerian government to fulfil its commitment to protect Christian communities and hold perpetrators accountable. The U.S. Bureau of African Affairs had earlier condemned the Plateau attack, describing the latest violence in the Middle Belt as disturbing.
The Bureau said, “The United States is horrified by yet another murderous attack in the Middle Belt of Nigeria, killing dozens of people asleep in their homes in Plateau State”.
It extended condolences to families of those killed and missing, while urging the Nigerian government to strengthen protection for vulnerable communities and ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
The Nigerian government has consistently rejected claims that the violence is primarily driven by religious persecution, maintaining that several of the conflicts are linked to land disputes, competition for resources and criminality.
Nigeria was first designated a CPC by the US in 2020 under the International Religious Freedom Act, but was removed from the list in 2021.
The country was later returned to the CPC list under the Trump administration, leading Nigeria and the US to establish a joint process to examine religious freedom concerns and measures being taken by Abuja.
