Two Republican lawmakers are urging the Trump administration to impose targeted sanctions — including visa bans and asset freezes — in response to ongoing attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria.
Reps. Bill Huizenga of Michigan and Chris Smith of New Jersey on Wednesday introduced a House resolution calling for a tougher U.S. response to religious persecution in Africa’s most populous nation. The measure also backs President Donald Trump’s recent decision to place Nigeria back on the U.S. list of “Countries of Particular Concern,” a designation reserved for severe violations of religious freedom.
Huizenga said escalating violence targeting Christians in Nigeria requires stronger pressure from Washington.
“The slaughter of innocent Christians in Nigeria demands a strong response from the United States,” he said. He added that Congress should push for sanctions on individuals and groups “supporting this horrific violence” and set clear conditions on U.S. assistance to Nigeria.
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Smith, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, said Christians in parts of the country face persistent threats from extremist groups, including Boko Haram and armed Fulani factions. He described the resolution as a roadmap for shaping future U.S. policy.
“To be a Christian living in Nigeria means living under the constant threat of murder, kidnapping, rape and torture,” Smith said. He called Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a CPC “a critical first step” and said Congress must ensure the State Department applies the full range of tools available under U.S. law.
The resolution also urges the State Department to direct humanitarian aid through faith-based groups assisting displaced families in Nigeria’s Middle Belt. It also calls for foreign assistance to be conditioned on Nigeria taking concrete steps to prosecute attackers, prevent further religiously motivated violence and uphold constitutional protections for religious freedom.
In addition to visa bans and asset freezes under the Global Magnitsky Act, the lawmakers want sanctions applied to the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore and Fulani militias operating in Benue and Plateau states.
