By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
United States lawmakers have ended a high-level congressional briefing with a unified warning that only sustained pressure from Washington would compel Nigerian authorities to act decisively against escalating violence and persecution in parts of the country.
Their concerns come as former U.S. President Donald Trump recently redesignated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” citing what he described as an existential threat to Christian communities and the mass killings linked to extremist militias.
Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, said thousands of Christians were being slaughtered, insisting the United States would not stand idle while such atrocities persisted. He also tasked members of the House Appropriations Committee, including Rep. Riley Moore and Rep. Tom Cole, to investigate the situation and report back to him.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had earlier raised similar fears, lamenting that Christian communities in several states—especially in the North—continued to suffer deadly attacks, displacement and the destruction of worship centres. CAN demanded urgent, transparent action from Nigerian authorities to halt the bloodshed.
At the briefing, Vicky Hartzler, Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, condemned what she described as Nigeria’s failure to respond to early warnings that could have prevented multiple deadly attacks. She said communities often alerted security agencies ahead of assaults but received no timely help.
“Too many times, villagers learn of an impending attack and reach out for protection, only to have their pleas ignored. In some cases, law enforcement is called during an attack, and yet no help arrives. This is unacceptable,” she said, calling for deeper U.S. support to strengthen Nigeria’s early-warning and response systems.
Riley Moore, Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Legislative Branch Subcommittee, also warned that the world was now paying closer attention to Nigeria’s handling of the crisis. According to him, global tolerance for the continued killing of Christians had reached its limit.
Rep. Brian Mast echoed these sentiments, insisting the U.S. must demand clear, measurable actions from Abuja. He said Nigeria must “disarm these militias, return displaced families to their homes, and bring the perpetrators to justice”.
Another senior lawmaker, Congressman Chris Smith, was more direct, accusing the Nigerian government of failing in its constitutional duty to protect its citizens. He said perpetrators currently operate with “complete impunity,” and warned that Washington would not allow Nigerian leaders to “run out the clock” on such a grave humanitarian crisis.
Smith, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, said the scale of killings and destruction showed deliberate governmental hesitation, adding that urgent and decisive action was needed to save lives across affected communities.
The lawmakers said the situation in Nigeria had deteriorated to a level that now required stronger American intervention, especially amid allegations of targeted attacks and persecution of Christians. They insisted that the slow pace of the Nigerian government’s response had become a major source of concern in Washington.
With both U.S. legislators and religious bodies intensifying pressure, the call for Nigeria to disarm violent groups, protect vulnerable communities and prosecute offenders has grown louder, placing Abuja under renewed international scrutiny.