A bipartisan delegation from the United States Congress held closed-door talks with Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, in Abuja on Sunday, in what American lawmakers described as a “fact-finding mission” into persistent reports of targeted violence against Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and northern states.
The visit comes less than two months after the US State Department, in October 2025, redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for “engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.”
The redesignation, the second in five years, cited credible reports of more than 5,000 Christians killed since 2019 in attacks attributed to Fulani herdsmen militias and Islamist extremist groups.In a brief statement after the meeting, delegation leader Rep.
Chris Smith (R-NJ), chairman of the House subcommittee on global human rights, said the discussions focused on “strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation while addressing the alarming pattern of anti-Christian violence that has claimed thousands of lives and displaced entire communities.”
Sources familiar with the talks said the American lawmakers pressed for concrete steps to protect vulnerable religious minorities, end impunity for perpetrators, and reform security responses in affected regions.
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The delegation also raised concerns over inflammatory rhetoric and policies perceived by critics as advancing an “Islamisation agenda.”
The Nigerian government has consistently rejected claims of religious or ethnic motivation behind the violence, describing it as primarily resource-based herder-farmer clashes exacerbated by climate change and population growth.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, a presidency spokesperson welcomed the visit as “an opportunity to deepen bilateral security partnership” and insisted that “no community is being targeted on the basis of faith.”
The high-level engagement takes place against a backdrop of strained Nigeria-US relations, with Washington withholding certain military assistance and training programs pending improvements in human rights and accountability.
Analysts say the outcome of the delegation’s report could influence future US policy, including potential sanctions or conditions on security aid.
Reactions on Nigerian social media were mixed, however, largely sceptical, with many users expressing doubt that the visit would translate into meaningful protection for embattled Christian communities.
“Another photo-op while churches burn,” read one widely shared comment beneath footage of the meeting.
The US delegation is scheduled to meet with civil society groups and religious leaders in Abuja and Jos before departing Nigeria later this week.
