Nigeria’s Lawmakers Dismiss U.S. Allegation of Religious Genocide

The House of Representatives has firmly rejected claims from the United States Senate describing Nigeria’s security challenges as a genocide against Christians. Lawmakers in Abuja have asserted that this narrative is not just misleading but also dangerous, arguing that it misrepresents a complex crisis that affects Nigerians of all faiths.

The rejection followed a statement by U.S. Congressman Riley Moore, who urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to impose diplomatic sanctions on Nigeria. In his October 6th message, Congressman Moore accused the Nigerian government of tolerating the “systematic persecution and slaughter of Christians” and called for the country to be redesignated as a Country of Particular Concern, with U.S. arms sales suspended until authorities showed “tangible commitment” to ending the violence.

At Wednesday’s plenary, Deputy Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, presented a motion titled Need for a Coordinated Diplomatic and Domestic Response to the Proposed Nigerian Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025. It was adopted unanimously. Kalu described the American claim as a serious mischaracterisation of Nigeria’s reality and warned that it could damage diplomatic relations between the two nations. “The House rejects outrightly narratives that frame Nigeria’s security crisis as a singularly religious conflict or a state-sponsored persecution,” he said.

He reminded lawmakers that Nigeria’s Constitution guarantees freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, and forbids the adoption of any state religion. According to him, successive governments and security agencies have taken steps to protect citizens of all faiths and to prosecute anyone guilty of violence. Kalu noted that the proposed U.S. Senate Bill 2747, introduced on September 9th, seeks to compel the U.S. Secretary of State to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern and to impose sanctions under the Global Magnitsky framework. He warned that such action, based on incomplete or one-sided information, could embolden violent groups and complicate ongoing security efforts.

“Insecurity in Nigeria is complex,” Kalu said. “It is driven by insurgency, criminal banditry, farmer-herder clashes, separatist movements, and communal disputes. These affect Nigerians of all religions, and most of the violence has come from terrorist groups and criminal gangs, not from any government policy.”

Lawmakers across party lines echoed the Deputy Speaker’s position. Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Hon. Oluwole Oke, described the U.S. claim as a “deliberate attempt to damage Nigeria’s image,” while Chairman of the House Committee on Water Resources, Hon. Sada Soli, called for stronger parliamentary diplomacy with the U.S. Congress. Hon. Billy Osawaru, representing Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode Federal Constituency of Edo State, warned that Nigeria’s weak diplomatic presence abroad makes it vulnerable to such narratives. Other members, including Hon. Ibrahim Isiaka of Ogun State and Hon. Jaha Ahmadu Usman of Borno State, urged coordination with the United Nations and careful investigation of cases often presented as religious violence.

The House’s resolution directed its Committees on Foreign Affairs, National Security and Intelligence, Information, and National Orientation to work with the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerian Embassy in Washington D.C., and other relevant agencies to file a formal diplomatic protest within 21 days. Lawmakers also proposed a joint Nigeria–U.S. fact-finding mechanism on religious freedom, to include faith leaders and independent experts, and invited the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom to appear before the House for a public hearing.

The National Human Rights Commission, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Department of State Services were instructed to submit, within 30 days, a consolidated report on religion-linked violence since 2023 to confirm that there is “no state-sponsored persecution based on religion.” The resolution will be sent to the Presidency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the U.S. Congress, the State Department, the African Union, and ECOWAS.

Despite their frustration, lawmakers were careful to reaffirm Nigeria’s partnership with the United States. “We are mindful of our longstanding partnership with the U.S., especially on counterterrorism, human rights, and interfaith dialogue,” Rt. Hon. Kalu said. “However, external actions that misrepresent our situation risk undermining that partnership.”

Though insecurity continues to rise across the country, Nigeria’s leaders are determined to resist any portrayal of the nation as one where the government backs attacks on a particular faith. Acknowledging Nigeria’s deep governance, security, and equity failures is one thing; allowing a foreign government to define those failures as state-sponsored religious persecution is another. By rejecting the U.S. Senate’s description, the House seeks to reclaim Nigeria’s story — affirming that while the country’s problems are real, they cannot be reduced to a single narrative of religion and persecution.