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U.S. Government Accused of Overlooking Religious Violations in Nigeria

The flag of Nigeria on a military uniform. Bumble Dee/Shutterstock.

By Magdalene Kahiu

Jos, 11 January, 2024 / 9:00 pm (ACI Africa).

An international Christian legal advocacy organization, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International has accused the United States of America Government of turning a blind eye to the persecution of Christians in Nigeria after the West African nation was omitted from the Country of Particular Concern (CPC) list of worst religious freedom offenders.

Nigeria was struck out of the CPC in 2021 and has since not been reintroduced in the list despite calls to have it included in the annual list made by the US State Department.

“We are disappointed and deeply concerned that the Biden Administration again has failed to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern for its egregious violations of religious freedom,” Sean Nelson, Legal Counsel, Global Religious Freedom for ADF International, says in a Press statement availed to ACI Africa Wednesday, January 10. 

Mr. Nelson says, “More Christians are being killed in Nigeria for their faith than in all other countries combined.”

According to a January 9 report compiled by the Catholic Pontifical and charity foundation, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International, Nigeria experienced the most killing of Christians and abduction of Clergy globally in 2023.

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In the press statement, ADF Legal Counsel, Global Religious Freedom calls on the US government to “increase pressure on Nigeria for the blatant violations of religious freedom occurring in the country.”

“The U.S. government should do everything within its power to support ending the persecution and bringing about the peaceful coexistence of faith communities in Nigeria,” he says. 

Mr. Nelson adds that the US Congress needs to make its voice heard “over the terrible religious freedom conditions in Nigeria.”

Magdalene Kahiu

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.

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