Ocean County Leader

U.S. Representative Chris Smith, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, recently led a congressional hearing to address religious freedom violations in Nigeria. During the session, expert witnesses supported Smith's call for Secretary Marco Rubio to redesignate Nigeria as a "Country of Particular Concern," a status previously assigned by President Trump to aid persecuted Christians in Nigeria.

Chairman Smith opened the hearing with testimony from Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of Makurdi Diocese, who stated that “Militant Fulani herdsman are terrorists. They steal and vandalize, they kill and boast about it, they kidnap and rape, and they enjoy total impunity from the elected officials. None of them have been arrested and brought to justice.”

Smith criticized the reversal of Nigeria's designation as a Country of Particular Concern by Secretary Blinken in 2021 after it was initially set by President Trump in December 2020. He remarked that Nigerian religious leaders were outraged by this decision.

Highlighting his concerns, Smith referenced Genocide Watch's description of Nigeria as “a killing field of defenseless Christians.” He noted reports indicating over 52,000 Christians have been killed since 2009 due to Islamist extremist violence. Additionally, approximately five million Nigerians have been displaced internally or forced into refugee camps.

In February 2024, the House Foreign Affairs Committee adopted Smith’s resolution H.Res. 82 urging the Biden Administration to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern; however, it did not reach the House floor. On March 11, 2025, Smith reintroduced this legislation under H.Res. 220.

Smith expressed hope that President Trump would again designate Nigeria as a CPC and take further steps to support persecuted Christians through engagement with Nigerian President Bola Tinuba.

The hearing titled “Conflict and Persecution in Nigeria: The Case for a CPC Designation” featured testimonies from several experts including Nina Shea from the Hudson Institute; Tony Perkins from Family Research Council; Bishop Wilfred Anagbe; and Oge Onubogu from The Wilson Center.

Bishop Anagbe testified about an alleged long-term Islamic agenda aimed at diminishing Christian identity through various violent and non-violent means without government intervention or reprisals.

Nina Shea emphasized that “Nigeria is...the entire world’s deadliest country for Christians,” citing Open Doors research indicating more Christian deaths there than anywhere else globally due to militant groups like nomadic Fulani Muslim herders targeting Middle Belt farming communities.

Tony Perkins added his perspective stating that Western news outlets often overlook escalating violence perpetrated mainly by radical Islamist groups against Christians who face murders, rapes kidnappings among other threats regularly across Africa’s most populous nation.