US Lawmakers Hold Briefing On Rising Attacks, ‘Persecution’ Of Christians In Nigeria Wednesday

The United States House Appropriations Committee will this Tuesday hold a high-level congressional briefing to address the rising violence and alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

According to a notice shared by US Congressman Riley Moore on X, the session will be convened by House Appropriations Committee Vice Chair and National Security Subcommittee Chairman, Mario Díaz-Balart. He will be joined by fellow Appropriators, as well as members of the House Foreign Affairs and Financial Services Committees.

Officials said representatives from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and other subject-matter experts were expected to participate in the closed-door meeting.

The briefing, according to the announcement, aims “to spotlight the escalating violence and targeted persecution of Christians in Nigeria.” It will also gather testimonies for a comprehensive report “directed by President Trump on the massacre of Nigerian Christians and the steps Congress can take to support the White House’s efforts to protect vulnerable faith communities worldwide.”

Committee officials explained that the roundtable is expected to provide lawmakers with “essential information on conditions facing religious minorities,” adding that it “will gather critical testimony to inform a comprehensive report.”

The development came amid renewed US–Nigeria security cooperation under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. Recently, Tinubu approved Nigeria’s delegation to the new US–Nigeria Joint Working Group, created to implement security agreements reached during high-level talks in Washington led by National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

The working group, which includes senior ministers and security chiefs, is focused on strengthening counterterrorism efforts, intelligence sharing, border management, and coordination on humanitarian and civilian security issues.

The congressional attention follows growing concern in Washington over terrorism, banditry, and a surge in alleged targeted attacks on Christians and other vulnerable groups in Nigeria, a trend that has drawn increasing international scrutiny and calls for action to protect religious freedom.