Overview
- Trump cited the killing of Christians by radical Islamists and asked Rep. Riley Moore, Chairman Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee to investigate and report back.
- The “country of particular concern” status authorizes but does not automatically trigger sanctions, which could include limits on non‑humanitarian aid or visas.
- Nigerian officials deny systematic targeting of Christians, and analysts say the violence is multi‑causal and affects both Christians and Muslims.
- Advocacy group Open Doors reports 3,100 of 4,476 Christians killed worldwide last year were in Nigeria, while ACLED data records relatively few incidents explicitly categorized as targeting Christians.
- Nigeria was first listed as a CPC in 2020 and removed in 2023, and the renewed move follows pressure from U.S. lawmakers including Ted Cruz, whose claim of more than 50,000 Christian deaths since 2009 is disputed by Nigerian authorities and experts.