The United States House Appropriations Committee has restated Washington’s commitment to confronting religious persecution worldwide — with Nigeria again under the spotlight — following a fact-finding mission to the country.
In a statement posted on its official X account on Wednesday, the committee declared:
“America will not look away as innocent lives are stolen.”
According to the message, the visit was carried out under the directive of President Donald Trump, with appropriators gathering first-hand information to guide a detailed report on Christian persecution in Nigeria and shape future policy decisions.
The committee added that religious freedom and atrocity response remain central items in the National Security and Resilience Priorities (NSRP) bill.
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu confirmed hosting the US delegation on Sunday as part of ongoing bilateral security engagements. He noted that the talks followed earlier meetings in Washington, DC, and focused on strengthening cooperation on counter-terrorism, regional stability, and the broader Nigeria–US strategic partnership.
Representative Riley Moore, a member of the delegation, described the visit as “very productive” after meeting with Tiv and Catholic leaders in Benue State — a region heavily affected by violence.
The diplomatic activity comes amid escalating tensions following the Trump administration’s decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over alleged religious freedom violations — a move that came with warnings of potential US military intervention.
Nigeria’s Federal Government has repeatedly dismissed allegations of systemic Christian persecution, maintaining that insecurity affects all communities regardless of faith.
On November 20, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth hosted Ribadu at the Pentagon for high-level talks on coordinated security strategies. That same day, the US House Subcommittee on Africa held a public hearing to assess the implications of Nigeria’s CPC status.
Last Tuesday, House Republicans again raised concerns about religious killings during a briefing ordered by President Trump, who on October 31 tasked Moore and the Appropriations Committee with investigating what he described as the “slaughter of Christians” and reporting directly to the White House.
