Overview
- The State Department re‑listed Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern for religious freedom violations, reviving a designation dropped in 2021.
- President Trump warned he would halt U.S. aid and said he directed the Department of War to prepare options, with CNN reporting AFRICOM staff were recalled to assess possibilities.
- Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar rejected claims of government‑backed religious persecution, and the presidency said any foreign assistance must respect Nigeria’s sovereignty.
- China’s Foreign Ministry publicly opposed U.S. threats of sanctions or force and voiced support for Nigeria’s government.
- Rights monitors report large‑scale violence affecting Christians and Muslims across insurgency, banditry, and herder‑farmer conflicts, as U.S. evangelical advocacy and Senator Ted Cruz’s bill press for tougher action.