Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) scholar Dr. Ebenezer Obadare has urged the United States Congress to adopt a firmer policy stance toward Nigeria as part of ongoing investigations into rising religious persecution and targeted killings of Christians across the country.
Speaking at a joint briefing of the US House Appropriations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Obadare outlined a two-fold strategy for Washington: Work closely with the Nigerian military to decisively neutralise Boko Haram, and Press Abuja to reform domestic laws by declaring Sharia law unconstitutional in the 12 northern states that adopted it since 2000 and disbanding Hisbah groups enforcing Islamic codes on non-Muslims.
Obadare told lawmakers that Nigeria’s worsening insecurity is inseparable from the activities of extremist groups, with Boko Haram at the core of the country’s instability.
“The deadliest and most serious threat confronting the Nigerian state today is jihadist terror, perpetrated by Boko Haram,” he said.
“Any attempt to resolve Nigeria’s security breakdown that does not prioritise the decisive degradation of Boko Haram is a non-starter.”
He argued that meaningful progress in Nigeria’s security efforts has often come only after sustained international pressure. He referenced Nigeria’s past designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and former President Donald Trump’s threat of unilateral military action — developments he said spurred recent steps by President Bola Tinubu, including ordering air strikes on Boko Haram positions, recruiting 30,000 additional police officers and declaring a national security emergency.
The congressional briefing was convened at Trump’s directive to investigate widespread attacks on Christians in Nigeria and develop a set of recommendations for the White House. It was led by Mario Díaz-Balart, Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee and Chair of its National Security Subcommittee, alongside Representatives Robert Aderholt, Riley Moore, Brian Mast and Chris Smith.
Experts from the fields of foreign policy and religious freedom — including Obadare, Vicky Hartzler of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, and Sean Nelson of ADF International — delivered updates and suggested policy options.
The committee is now preparing a detailed report to the President outlining how Congress can bolster efforts to curb religious persecution and restore security in Nigeria.
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