U.S. Congress Receives Petition On Nigeria’s Blasphemy Law

The United States House of Representatives has introduced a resolution condemning the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

The resolution, sponsored by Rep. Riley Moore of West Virginia and filed on November 4, pledged support for President Donald Trump’s decision to end an “existential threat” to religious freedom in Africa’s most populous country.

It denounced years of targeted violence against Christians by Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and armed Fulani militants.

It also describes Nigeria as experiencing “the highest levels of violence against Christians in the world since Boko Haram’s insurgency began in 2009.”

According to the document, between 50,000 and 100,000 Christians have been killed since 2009, including more than 7,000 deaths recorded in 2025 alone, an average of 35 Christians murdered every day.

It also states that over 19,000 churches have been attacked or destroyed, and millions displaced from their homes.

The resolution cites Benue and Plateau States as epicenters of the violence, where more than 9,500 people—mostly Christians—were killed between May 2023 and May 2025.

It further condemns what it calls “deliberate campaigns of religious cleansing,” noting that many attacks are coordinated during Christian holy days such as Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost.

Lawmakers also faulted Nigerian authorities for ignoring warnings of impending assaults. The resolution referenced the October 14 massacre in Rachas village, Plateau State, where a pastor’s warning about a Fulani attack was dismissed by the army as “fake news,” only for at least a dozen Christians to be killed the following day.

It accused the Nigerian Government of routinely denying the existence of religious persecution. The document quoted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s September 2025 statement that “there’s no religious persecution in Nigeria,” contrasting it with data showing that “more Christians are being killed in Nigeria than the rest of the world combined.”

The House resolution also noted that Nigeria is one of only seven countries in the world that retains a blasphemy law carrying the death penalty, enforced in 12 northern states under Sharia law.

It highlighted the cases of Rhoda Jatau and Deborah Yakubu, both victims of mob violence and prosecution over alleged blasphemy.

Citing repeated warnings from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), the resolution recalls that President Trump designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) in both 2020 and 2025, unlocking tools for sanctions and diplomatic measures to defend religious freedom.

It blames the former President Joe Biden administration’s 2021 removal of Nigeria from the CPC list for a “marked escalation in violence and persecution.”

The resolution states that Congress “stands ready to support President Trump in taking decisive action to end the existential threat that persecuted Christians face in Nigeria.”

It further calls on the U.S. government to use all available diplomatic, economic, and security tools to pressure Nigeria to end impunity for perpetrators of religious violence, protect Christian communities and clergy from further attacks, and facilitate the safe return of displaced Christians to their homes.

It also urges the repeal of blasphemy laws and the release of all prisoners detained for their faith while encouraging humanitarian aid delivery through trusted nongovernmental and faith-based organisations.