US lawmaker Riley Moore. Photo: AFP

Lawmakers in the United States House of Representatives will meet on Tuesday for a joint congressional briefing on what they describe as rising attacks and targeted persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

The session, led by the House Appropriations Committee, was announced in a notice posted on X by US Congressman Riley Moore. According to the statement, Appropriations Committee Vice Chair and National Security Subcommittee Chairman, Mario Díaz-Balart, will preside over the meeting. He will be joined by other members of the Appropriations, Foreign Affairs, and Financial Services Committees.

Officials said representatives from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom and several expert witnesses are expected to deliver testimony on insecurity affecting Christian communities.

“The purpose of the briefing is to spotlight the escalating violence and targeted persecution of Christians in Nigeria,” the announcement stated.

Committee officials added that the closed-door roundtable aims to gather evidence for an upcoming congressional 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.”

A statement from the organisers said, “The roundtable will gather critical testimony to inform a comprehensive report,” noting that lawmakers want “essential information on conditions facing religious minorities.”

The briefing follows increased engagement between Washington and Abuja over security challenges in Nigeria. President Bola Tinubu recently approved Nigeria’s representation on the new US–Nigeria Joint Working Group, set up after talks in Washington led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.

The working group includes senior cabinet members, security chiefs, and technical advisers from both countries. It is expected to focus on counterterrorism, intelligence sharing, border security, humanitarian response, and protecting civilians caught in conflict zones.

US congressional interest has grown amid concerns over terrorism, banditry, mass abductions, and repeated attacks on Christian communities in several northern states.

Analysts say the Tuesday briefing could influence future diplomatic and security cooperation between both countries, as well as congressional funding decisions tied to human rights and religious freedom protections.

More updates later…