US lawmakers to meet today over rising attacks in Nigeria

The United States House Appropriations Committee is set to host a major joint congressional briefing on Tuesday, focusing on what American lawmakers describe as the growing persecution and targeted violence against Christians in Nigeria.

The announcement was made in a notice shared on X by U.S. Congressman Riley Moore. According to the notice, the briefing will be convened by House Appropriations Committee Vice Chair and Chairman of the National Security Subcommittee, Mario Díaz-Balart. He will be joined by fellow Appropriators, as well as members of the House Foreign Affairs and Financial Services Committees, reflecting the broad bipartisan interest in Nigeria’s security and human rights situation.

The session will also feature contributions from representatives of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and other experts specializing in conflict, human rights, and religious liberty issues. Their briefings and testimony will help lawmakers better evaluate the scope of violence affecting Christian communities across Nigeria.

According to the official announcement, the purpose of the briefing is “to spotlight the escalating violence and targeted persecution of Christians in Nigeria.” Lawmakers intend to examine recent trends in attacks, particularly those involving armed groups, extremist elements, and communal violence in various parts of the country.

Committee officials disclosed that the roundtable will also gather evidence and expert testimony that will feed into a comprehensive report mandated by President Donald Trump. The report aims to detail the alleged massacres of Nigerian Christians and outline potential legislative actions Congress can take to support the White House’s initiatives to protect vulnerable religious communities globally.

“The roundtable will gather critical testimony to inform a comprehensive report,” the statement emphasized, noting that U.S. lawmakers want clearer insights into the conditions affecting religious minorities in Nigeria.

The upcoming briefing comes at a time of deepening security collaboration between the United States and Nigeria. Recently, President Bola Tinubu approved Nigeria’s delegation to the new U.S.–Nigeria Joint Working Group — a team established to implement key security agreements from high-level talks in Washington, led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.

The working group, which includes top ministers and senior security officials, is focused on strengthening counterterrorism strategies, improving intelligence sharing, enhancing border management, and boosting coordination on humanitarian and civilian protection efforts.

The renewed cooperation follows rising global concern over Nigeria’s deteriorating security environment, particularly the surge in terrorism, banditry, and attacks targeting Christian communities. These developments have intensified U.S. scrutiny and prompted renewed calls for stronger measures to protect at-risk religious groups.

With Tuesday’s congressional briefing, U.S. lawmakers hope to gather the information needed to shape future policy decisions and deepen international efforts to address the violence affecting vulnerable communities across Nigeria.