US CONGRESS

United States lawmakers were urged on Tuesday to pressure the Nigerian government to abolish Sharia criminal law in northern states and disband Hisbah enforcement commissions, with experts warning that religious policing is fuelling systematic anti-Christian persecution and jihadist violence.

The call came during a joint House briefing convened by the House Appropriations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee in Washington. The session followed President Donald Trump’s October directive and redesignation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern”, citing worsening attacks on Christian communities and failures by security forces to stop killings.

Ebenezer Obadare, the Douglas Dillon Senior Fellow for Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Dr Ebenezer Obadare told lawmakers that extremist groups are exploiting Sharia frameworks to entrench radical ideology and target religious minorities in northern Nigeria.

“The policy goal should be two-fold. First, work with the Nigerian military to neutralise Boko Haram. Second, the United States should put pressure on President Tinubu to make Sharia law unconstitutional in the twelve northern states where it has been adopted since 2000 and disband the various Hisbah groups,” Obadare said in his testimony, which was quoted in a statement by the House Appropriations Committee.

Obadare argued that Hisbah commissions, established by several northern state governments to enforce Islamic codes of conduct, are being weaponised by armed groups and radical clerics to impose religious rules on all citizens regardless of their faith. According to him, these structures allow Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and radicalised Fulani militias to operate “with near-total impunity”.

He said: “Boko Haram translates to ‘Western education is forbidden.’ Boko Haram’s barbarous and implacable campaign to overthrow the Nigerian state and establish an Islamic caliphate in its stead is the source of Nigeria’s present discontents. Every proposal to solve the Nigerian crisis that does not take seriously the need to radically degrade and ultimately eliminate Boko Haram as a fighting force is a non-starter.”

Lawmakers Warn of “Religious Cleansing”

The bipartisan panel, led by House Appropriations Vice Chair Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL), heard repeated accusations that Nigerian authorities have failed to protect civilians from religiously motivated attacks.

Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) described Nigeria as “ground zero for global persecution of Christians,” saying, “The Nigerian government has a fundamental, constitutional obligation to protect its citizens. However, the perpetrators of this persecution operate with complete impunity.”

Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) demanded tougher conditions on U.S. security aid, saying the United States “must demand that the Nigerian government disarm these militias, return displaced families to their homes, and bring the perpetrators to justice.”

Riley Moore (R-WV), Vice Chair of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee and a prominent advocate for religious liberty, added, “The world will no longer turn a blind eye to the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.”

Recent Abductions and Blasphemy Cases Cited

Witnesses referenced the November 22 abduction of children and teachers from St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, along with ongoing blasphemy-law prosecutions and mass killings in the North and Middle Belt.

U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Chair Vicky Hartzler criticised Nigerian officials for ignoring intelligence and emergency alerts.

“Too many times, local villagers learn of an impending attack and reach out for protection, only to have their cries for help ignored to their ultimate demise. Worse yet, there are stories of law enforcement being called during an attack, and yet no help is sent. This is unacceptable,” she said.

Hartzler urged Washington to invest in early-warning systems and tie future security assistance to measurable improvements in civilian protection.

Nigerian Government “Responding to Pressure”, Witness Says

Obadare noted that Abuja has taken some steps following Trump’s threat of unilateral U.S. military action and security sanctions.

“Since the country’s CPC designation, President Tinubu has made several moves, including ordering airstrikes against Boko Haram targets, the recruitment of an additional 30,000 policemen, and declaring a national security emergency,” he said. “As recent events have shown, the Nigerian authorities are not impervious to incentives. Washington must keep up the pressure.”

Formal Report Being Prepared for Trump

Members of the Appropriations Committee confirmed that they are drafting a formal report to the White House outlining policy recommendations, including conditions on U.S. military and development aid to Nigeria.

Lawmakers indicated bipartisan support for language in the FY26 appropriations bill linking U.S. assistance to measurable reductions in religiously motivated killings.

Tuesday’s briefing followed an earlier congressional hearing on November 20 examining Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern. Nigeria was first placed on the CPC list in 2020 under the Trump administration, removed by President Joe Biden, and redesignated last month amid growing concerns over mass killings and church attacks.

Trump has warned that the United States may halt assistance to Nigeria if “nothing is done to stop the alleged Christian persecution.”

Whether the Nigerian government responds to congressional pressure is expected to shape U.S.–Nigeria relations in the coming year, as legislators push for dismantling Sharia enforcement structures they consider core to the crisis.