The United States (US) Department of State, in a statement has imposed a visa ban on any Nigerian and their immediate family members who have directed, authorised or supported violations of religious freedom.
The statement made on Wednesday is titled ‘Combating Egregious Anti-Christian Violence in Nigeria and Globally’, said the US is taking a decisive action in response to the mass killings and violence against Christians by violent actors in Nigeria and beyond the country.
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It named the violent actors as radical terrorists and Fulani ethnic militias.
According to the statement, “A new policy under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act will allow the State Department to restrict visa issuance to individuals who have directed, authorised, significantly supported, participated in, or carried out violations of religious freedom and, where appropriate, their immediate family members”.
“As President Trump made clear, the United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other countries”, the statement said.
The statement also noted that this restriction will apply to Nigeria and any other governments or individuals engaged in violations of religious freedom.
Concerns over the safety of Christians in Nigeria had escalated on Capitol Hill, following an instruction from Donald Trump to the House Appropriations Committee to investigate what he termed the “slaughter” of believers in the West African nation.
The mandate initially issued by Trump on October 31, led to a high-level briefing to gather testimony on the violence.
The session was convened by Mario Díaz-Balart, vice chair of the House Appropriations Committee and Chairman of its National Security Subcommittee.
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The briefing brought together members of the House Appropriations and House Foreign Affairs Committees, alongside prominent religious freedom experts. Attendees included Representatives Robert Aderholt, Riley Moore, Brian Mast, and Chris Smith, as well as Vicky Hartzler, Chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.
They were joined by Sean Nelson of the Alliance Defending Freedom International and Dr Ebenezer Obadare from the Council on Foreign Relations, providing expert analysis.
