US lawmakers ask Biden to re-designate Nigeria as religious freedom violator

United States lawmakers have asked President Joe Biden to re-designate Nigeria as a country of particular concern (CPC) for violations of religious freedom.

Nigeria was first designated as a CPC in December 2020 by the US department of state due to frequent religious conflicts and attacks by the Boko Haram sect.

But the country was taken off the list in November 2021, a move that angered many human rights organisations.

On Tuesday, lawmakers brought up a resolution urging the state department to put Nigeria on the annual CPC list.

In a statement, Chris Smith, the New Jersey representative, said Christians bear the brunt of the persecution in the country.

He said the Biden administration’s decision to exclude Nigeria from the list was an “unjustified decision”, adding that the re-inclusion was a “necessary fight to protect victims of religious persecution”.

“Last year alone, 5,014 Christians were killed in Nigeria — accounting for nearly 90% of Christian deaths worldwide as well [as] 90% of Christian kidnappings across the globe,” Smith said.

“The Biden administration must act immediately and redesignate Nigeria as a country of particular concern to mitigate this alarming and growing threat to religious liberty.”

French Hill, the Arkansas representative, described Biden’s removal of Nigeria from the list as a “political move”.

“In 2020, Nigeria was a country of particular concern (CPC). Despite little having changed in Nigeria’s treatment of religious freedom since then, the Biden Administration continues to leave Nigeria off the CPC list for political gain,” Hill said.

“This resolution sends an important message to the Biden administration and the government of Nigeria that the US Congress sees what is happening there and will continue to speak out against the ongoing violence and the government’s inadequate response.”

KILLINGS OF PRIESTS IN NIGERIA

According to the Pew Research Center, Nigeria has the largest Christian population of any country in Africa.

TheCable had reported how at least 39 Catholic priests were killed by gunmen and 30 others were abducted in the year 2022.

The north-central was the worst hit with 12 killings while the north-west recorded nine deaths. The south-east and south-south recorded five deaths each while the north-east and north-west had four deaths each.

Recently, terrorists killed Isaac Achi, a priest of St. Peters and Paul Catholic Church in Kafin-Koro, Paikoro LGA of Niger state.

Achi was burnt to death at his residence in the early hours of the morning.

Wasiu Abiodun, police spokesperson in Niger, said the terrorists razed the building after failing to gain entrance into the priest’s residence and shot another priest who was trying to escape from the attackers.

Since Nigeria’s removal from the CPC list, US lawmakers and other concerned groups have repeatedly called for the re-inclusion of the country in the special watch list.