Nigeria not doing enough to stop attacks on Christians – US

The United States Government has declared that Nigeria has yet to make sufficient progress in halting the wave of attacks on Christian communities across the country.

The US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Frank Garcia, stated this on Thursday during a congressional hearing on violence in Nigeria, while responding to questions from US Congressman Riley Moore. Garcia stated that the country’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) should remain in place.

Congressman Moore questioned the Nigerian government’s efforts in dismantling militia strongholds and kidnapping camps in the Middle Belt, specifically in Benue and Plateau states.

He demanded an update on operations conducted since the US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Allison Hooker, raised concerns about the pace of Nigeria’s response in August.

Moore also queried the exclusion of Benue and Plateau from the 10 states covered by the new forest guard initiative of the country, adding that 1,000 presidentially approved guards for Plateau had yet to be deployed.

In his response, Garcia acknowledged the lack of sufficient progress but noted that the Nigerian government was taking steps, even though those measures have yet to yield the desired impact.

“I think we would agree, as Under Secretary Hooker stated, after our CPC meeting that progress has not been there, but that doesn’t mean that Nigeria is dismissing concerns, and it doesn’t mean that they’re not taking actions, but it does mean that it hasn’t had an impact to this point,” Garcia stated.

He mentioned the establishment of the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group as an important framework for monitoring the Nigerian government’s commitments and ensuring accountability. He also revealed US-supported counterterrorism operations in the Lake Chad Basin, though he admitted such efforts had not addressed the activities of militants operating across the Middle Belt.

“I would have to characterise the Nigerians’ placement at this point as in building capacity. And that capacity is not deployed, is not being effective yet, and is not moving fast enough, as far as I’m concerned,” Garcia added.

The Federal Government has consistently rejected claims of targeted religious persecution or a “Christian genocide,” emphasizing that the violence is driven by security crises, banditry, terrorism, and resource conflicts affecting citizens across all faiths.