Overview
- Trump reinstated Nigeria’s status as a Country of Particular Concern under U.S. religious‑freedom law and tasked Reps. Riley Moore and Tom Cole, along with the House Appropriations Committee, to investigate.
- One day later, he warned of cutting U.S. assistance and said he told the Defense Department to prepare for possible action against Islamist groups if killings of Christians continue.
- Nigeria’s government rejected claims of a targeted Christian genocide, with officials saying extremists attack multiple communities and pledging to combat violent groups.
- Advocacy group Open Doors reports 3,100 of 4,476 Christians killed worldwide last year were in Nigeria, while some U.S. lawmakers cite far higher multi‑year tolls that Nigerian officials and experts dispute.
- The CPC label enables potential penalties such as restrictions on non‑humanitarian aid, but no new U.S. sanctions have been enacted and analysts question the departure from typical multi‑agency procedures.