Committees of the United States House of Representatives have formally presented a comprehensive report on Nigeria’s security situation to President Donald Trump.
The report, submitted by members of the House Committees on Appropriations and Foreign Affairs followed months of investigation and on the ground assessments.
It outlined findings on alleged persecution of Christians and broader extremist violence.
The move comes after Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern and directed Congressman Riley Moore and Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole to spearhead a congressional probe into alleged religious persecution and terrorism related violence in the country.
Moore confirmed the submission in a statement posted on his official X account, saying the White House meeting marked the culmination of extensive bipartisan work.
According to the lawmaker, the report draws from expert testimonies, congressional hearings, closed door roundtables and two separate fact finding visits to Nigeria by bipartisan delegations.
During one of the trips, the US team visited Internally Displaced Persons camps in Benue State, met victims of attacks and held consultations with senior Nigerian officials, including the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Moore said the engagements provided what he described as a clearer understanding of the scale of insecurity and the challenges facing Christian communities in parts of the country.
“I travelled on a bipartisan delegation to Nigeria and saw with my own eyes the atrocities Christians face and the instability the Nigerian government must combat,” he stated.
The report proposes a bilateral security agreement between the United States and Nigeria aimed at protecting vulnerable communities and dismantling extremist networks.
It also recommends withholding certain US funds pending measurable action by the Nigerian government to curb violence.
Among other measures outlined are sanctions and visa restrictions against individuals or groups found complicit in religious persecution.
The document further calls for technical assistance to help Nigerian authorities address violence attributed to armed Fulani militias.
Lawmakers additionally urged a review and repeal of Sharia and blasphemy laws considered discriminatory, while advocating coordinated action with international partners including France, Hungary and the United Kingdom.
Moore described the White House meeting as productive and commended Trump for redesignating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.
He said deepening cooperation between Washington and Abuja would serve the interests of both nations.
“Together, we must address these pressing security challenges and bring an end to violence against Christians,” he added.
The development signals heightened diplomatic attention on Nigeria’s internal security challenges and sets the stage for potential shifts in US policy engagement with Africa’s most populous nation.
Daily Trust reports that Nigeria’s religious freedom record has remained a recurring point of friction in US Nigeria relations.
During Trump’s first term, Nigeria was designated a Country of Particular Concern in 2020 under the US International Religious Freedom Act.
The designation was removed in 2021 under President Joe Biden, a decision that sparked criticism from some American lawmakers, including Chris Smith, who argued that violence against Christians remained severe.
Trump’s recent redesignation of Nigeria as a CPC reinstated the country on Washington’s formal religious watchlist and set in motion a congressional investigation.
He tasked Congressman Riley Moore and Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole with leading a comprehensive probe into religious persecution claims and insecurity in Nigeria.
The issue also generated reactions within Nigeria’s political space.
Former Kano State governor and opposition figure, Rabiu Kwankwaso, previously cautioned against what he described as external narratives that could affect Nigeria’s global image.
He stressed that insecurity in the country is complex and not solely religious in character.
However, the current recommendations echo an earlier US proposal in which figures such as Kwankwaso and the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association were reportedly considered for targeted sanctions.
At the time, the proposal triggered strong opposition from northern political leaders, traditional rulers, and civil society groups, who argued that labeling these individuals and organizations as complicit in religious persecution was misleading.
Critics stressed that insecurity in the region stemmed largely from banditry, herder-farmer conflicts, and terrorist activity rather than deliberate state-backed religious targeting, warning that punitive US measures could aggravate tensions and complicate ongoing security and dialogue efforts
Nigerian officials have consistently maintained that the violence stems from terrorism, banditry and communal conflicts rather than state sponsored religious persecution.
Monday’s submission marks the most concrete policy step since Nigeria’s redesignation as a Country of Particular Concern.
With Congress now formally outlining potential diplomatic and financial consequences, the trajectory of US Nigeria relations may depend on how both governments balance security cooperation with Washington’s renewed emphasis on religious freedom accountability. – Daily Trust.
