Fatimah Otunsanya
The United States House Appropriations Committee will on Tuesday convene a joint congressional briefing to address what it describes as rising attacks and alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
A notice shared on X by US Congressman Riley Moore confirmed that the session will be led by Appropriations Committee Vice Chair and National Security Subcommittee Chair, Mario Díaz-Balart.
Lawmakers from the House Appropriations, Foreign Affairs, and Financial Services Committees are expected to participate.
Representatives from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, alongside other experts, will present insights during the meeting.
According to the announcement, the briefing aims “to spotlight the escalating violence and targeted persecution of Christians in Nigeria.”
It further noted that the roundtable will gather testimony to support a comprehensive report ordered by former President Donald Trump on the killings of Christians in Nigeria and to outline potential steps Congress could take to bolster White House efforts to protect vulnerable religious communities globally.
The development comes as Washington and the Federal Government of Nigeria intensify security discussions following a surge in terrorist attacks in Nigeria.
Recently, President Bola Tinubu approved the composition of Nigeria’s delegation to the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group, a structure created to enhance bilateral collaboration on counterterrorism and related threats.
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu will head the Nigerian team, which includes senior officials from multiple government agencies. The working group was one of the outcomes of a recent high-level visit to Washington by a Nigerian delegation.
International scrutiny of Nigeria’s security situation has continued to grow since former US President Trump claimed that Christians were being targeted for “genocide” in the country .
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government strongly rejected the claim, insisting that security challenges in Nigeria transcends the genocide allegation as both Muslims and Christians are victims of insecurity in the country.