The United States State Department recently officially updated its designation for Nigeria as a "Country of Particular Concern" fo...
The United States State Department recently officially updated its designation for Nigeria as a "Country of Particular Concern" for its alleged severe violations of religious freedom and persecution of Christians.
The CPC label is given by the US government to nations "engaged in severe violations of religious freedom" under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. The designation is largely symbolic, but US law requires governments to "take targeted responses to violations of religious freedom."
The move comes after President Donald Trump accused the Nigerian government of not doing enough to protect Christians from violence. He also instructed the Pentagon to prepare for possible action in Nigeria and threatened to cut US aid. The Secretary of State is responsible for deeming a country a "Country of Particular Concern" (CPC)
In December 2020, former President Trump designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) during his first term. However, this designation was reversed the following year under the Biden administration. In November 2021, Secretary of State Antony Blinken removed Nigeria from the CPC list after determining that the country did not meet the criteria for a formal designation due to "systematic, ongoing, and egregious" violations of religious freedom. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom criticized this decision, calling it "unexplainable" and "appalling".
The President of the United States of America (POTUS) had called on Rep. Riley Moore, a Republican from West Virginia, to lead an investigation into the alleged slaughtering of Christians in Nigeria. Moore has been a vocal advocate for Christians in Africa. Last month, he called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to designate Nigeria as a country of particular concern. Moore applauded Trump's move and said he, House Appropriations Committee chairman Tom Cole, and the House Foreign Affairs Committee would investigate the alleged religious persecution.
In August, GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas introduced a bill calling for sanctions against Nigeria for purported violations of religious freedom and to designate Nigeria as a CPC.
In March 2025, the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa held a hearing titled "Conflict and Persecution in Nigeria" to discuss the potential designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC). According to information from Moore's office, over 7,000 Christians were killed in Nigeria in 2025 alone, averaging 35 deaths per day. Additionally, hundreds more have been kidnapped, tortured, or displaced by extremist groups such as Boko Haram, ISIS West Africa, and Fulani militants.
Reports indicate that since 2009, between 50,000 and 100,000 Christians have been killed, and more than 19,000 Christian churches have been attacked or destroyed. Data from Open Doors shows that more Christians are killed each year in Nigeria than in the rest of the world combined.
Unfortunately, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has also pushed back against Trump's and other lawmakers' claims, writing, "The characterization of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians." This lie only makes the government complicit in the killing of Christians in Nigeria.
Despite the closure of the US Agency for International Development and cuts to all US foreign aid, the US government announced a $32.5 million contribution to Nigeria in September 2025. This funding is intended to "provide food assistance and nutrition support to internally displaced persons in conflict-affected areas," as stated by the US Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria. Additionally, Trump has threatened to halt US aid. For fiscal year 2023, the US committed approximately $1.02 billion in aid to Nigeria, according to US government figures.
Despite the effort of the Nigerian government to shield the Terrorists, the USA POTUS said he had ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria as he stepped up his criticism that the government was failing to rein in the persecution of Christians in the West African country.
"If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the USA will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, 'guns-a-blazing,' to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities," Trump posted on social media. "I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!"
The warning of potential military action followed Nigeria's President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, pushing back against President Trump. The day before, Trump announced that he was designating Nigeria as "a country of particular concern" for allegedly not doing enough to curb the persecution of Christians.
The indigenous People of Biafra are anxiously waiting for the coming of Trump to eradicate the terrorists and flush out all Government officials who are supporting this cruelty with the supervision of Britain.
Written by
Rob Igwe
For
Imo State Media Team
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