A recent Congressional hearing in the United States has brought to light the alarming rate of Christian persecution in Nigeria. The hearing highlighted the staggering statistics of Christian persecution in Nigeria.
According to the 2023 Watch List released by Open Doors, an astonishing 89 per cent of Christians martyred worldwide are in Nigeria.
Chairman Chris Smith of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa delivered opening remarks at the hearing, titled ‘Conflict and Persecution in Nigeria: The Case for a CPC Designation’.
Smith stated that the situation in Nigeria has only worsened since he first chaired a hearing on religious persecution in the country over a decade ago.
He shared the story of Habila Adamu, an evangelical believer who was dragged from his home by Boko Haram terrorists and ordered to renounce his faith.
Adamu courageously refused, even when faced with an AK-47, and miraculously survived being shot in the face.
Additionally, over 18,000 churches have been destroyed in Northern Nigeria since 2009, and approximately 5 million Christians have been displaced and forced into Internally Displaced Persons camps.
Smith called on the Nigerian government to take action, emphasizing that President Tinubu has the power to stop the persecution. He also reintroduced a resolution calling on then-President Joe Biden’s administration to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, which would carry significant sanctions.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has also recommended redesignating Nigeria as a CPC, citing the country’s failure to make progress against religiously motivated persecution of Christians.
The hearing served as a catalyst for action, with Smith hoping to lead a delegation to Nigeria to raise awareness about the issue. He emphasized that help cannot come soon enough and that the international community must take action to stop the “religious cleansing” in Nigeria.
“Make no mistake all of these attacks are based on religion, like I said, and diverting attention from it denies what we have seen with our own eyes. This “religious cleansing” needs to stop, and the perpetrators be brought to justice,” stated the Congressman.
The U.S. lawmaker added, “Northern Nigeria and this is just Northern Nigeria alone, has seen the destruction of over 18,000 churches since 2009 -18,000 churches. And I saw five of them, completely burned out – and many people killed from car bombs and the like.”
