US Congress to Probe Trump’s CPC Redesignation of Nigeria as Tinubu Rejects ‘Religious Persecution’ Claims
The United States House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa has fixed Thursday, November 20, 2025, for a major investigative hearing into President Donald Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over alleged widespread persecution of Christians.
The notice, sighted by Channels Television and addressed to members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, indicates that the hearing will begin at 11:00 a.m. in Room 2172, Rayburn House Office Building, and will be chaired by Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ). The session will also be streamed via live webcast.
The invitation reads: “You are respectfully requested to attend an open hearing of the Committee on Foreign Affairs to be held by the Subcommittee on Africa…”
Trump’s Redesignation Sparks US Congressional Review
Nigeria first appeared on the CPC list under Trump in 2020 before former President Joe Biden removed it after taking office. But on October 31, 2025, Trump again placed Nigeria on the list, accusing the West African country of failing to protect its Christian population from extremist attacks.
Trump alleged that Christianity faced an “existential threat” in Nigeria due to persistent killings, abductions, and church burnings by extremist groups.
In a statement on November 1, Trump issued a stern warning:“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the USA will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now-disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists…”
“If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet.”
The comments have stirred diplomatic unease and intensified scrutiny around Nigeria’s handling of sectarian violence.
Top US Diplomats and Nigerian Clergy to Testify
The hearing will feature two panels of witnesses:
Panel One: US State Department Officials
- Jonathan Pratt, Senior Bureau Official, Bureau of African Affairs
- Jacob McGee, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
Panel Two: Religious & Civil Society Experts
- Nina Shea, Director, Centre for Religious Freedom
- Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, Makurdi Catholic Diocese, Nigeria
- Oge Onubogu, Centre for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS)
The subcommittee will assess:
- The extent of religious persecution in Nigeria
- Violence targeting Christian communities
- Government response mechanisms
- Possible US policy actions, including sanctions, humanitarian assistance, and security collaboration
A companion bill on the issue is already before the US Senate, sponsored by Senator Ted Cruz.
Tinubu Rejects Claims, Says Nigeria Protects Religious Freedom
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has strongly refuted Trump’s assertions, insisting that they do not reflect Nigeria’s constitutional reality or social diversity.
In a statement posted on his official X account, Tinubu said:
“Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty. The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality.”
“Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so.” Tinubu emphasized that Nigeria remains committed to protecting all religious groups and does not condone persecution in any form.
