The US Commission on International Religious Freedom strongly recommends that the US government put Nigeria back on the list of countries whose religious freedom situation is of “particular concern”. In addition, it calls on the US State Department to appoint a special rapporteur for the most populous African country as well as the Lake Chad region. The Commission’s appeal is prompted by the impunity of violent attacks on Christians. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken omitted Nigeria from the 2021 and 2022 reports on International Religious Freedom.

“In northern central Nigeria, apathy in the face of violence has led to mass atrocities and destroyed citizens’ trust in government institutions,” a June 2023 report on religious freedom in Nigeria stated, adding that the predominantly Muslim Fulani community, along with militants, attacked mostly defenseless Christians and were not held accountable. The state security forces, it is alleged, are only on the scene where criminal gangs or citizen militias attack predominantly Muslim communities.

The Fulani are traditionally pastoralists and have for years seen themselves disadvantaged by the central government, as they would neither be protected from cattle theft nor from grazing land theft. In the meantime, they have armed themselves with weapons from Libya—many fighters have become radicalized. They attack mostly Christian villages and specifically target worshippers: For example, in January 2023 in a church in the northern Nigerian state of Katsina, where 25 worshippers fell victim to a massacre. Often, terrorist gangs also deliberately murder or abduct priests. On 17 June 2023, Rev. Marcellus Nwaohuocha was abducted in the Nigerian Archdiocese of Jos (east central Nigeria), tortured and released two days later. “Deep wounds to the head” he bore, according to the Catholic News Agency (CAN).

The US report does not mention the terrorist organizations “Islamic State in the West African Province” and “Boko Haram”, which continue to pose serious threats to Africa’s largest Christian community. Observers report that both have already infiltrated Fulani gangs. Nigerian Christians, about 40 per cent of the population, deserve all political attention and protection in their home country.