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The session will be led by Rep. Chris Smith, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, who has long pushed for action on the issue.

Smith previously introduced a resolution identifying the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore as groups of concern, recommending visa bans and asset freezes for members.

The resolution also urged the U.S. to list “Fulani-Ethnic Militias” in Benue and Plateau states as Entities of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act.

According to Smith’s office, the hearing will focus on alleged attacks by “radical Islamists,” the implications of Nigeria’s CPC designation, and what steps the State Department should take in response to what critics call Nigerian government inaction.

Read Also: African Union Chief Debunks Genocide Report in Northern Nigeria

Witnesses on the first panel include Jonathan Pratt of the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs and Jacob McGee of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. The second panel will feature experts such as Nina Shea of the Centre for Religious Freedom, Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of Makurdi Diocese, and Oge Onubogu of the Centre for Strategic & International Studies.

Source: Thecable

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Speaking with journalists in New York, Chair of the African Union Commission, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, said, “There is no genocide in northern Nigeria.”

Recall that Trump threatened to carry out an armed intervention in Nigeria, saying radical Islamists were killing “Christians in very large numbers.”

The US leader said Christianity was “facing an existential threat” in the West African nation, adding that if Nigeria does not stem the killings, the United States will attack, and “it will be fast, vicious, and sweet.”

Youssouf said, “The first victims of Boko Haram (the most prominent jihadist group in the region) are Muslims, not Christians.”

Read Also: Presidency Reaffirms Tinubu’s Commitment to Tackling Insecurity

Nigeria, the continent’s most populous country with 230 million inhabitants, is divided roughly equally between a predominantly Christian south and a Muslim-majority north.

The Boko Haram jihadist insurgency, active since 2009, has killed more than 40,000 people and forced more than two million to flee their homes, according to UN figures.

Source: Punch

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The Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, dismissed the report in a post on his official X handle, describing the report as false and misleading. He said the report had fuelled unnecessary speculation and “uninformed commentaries”.

Ajayi added that if Tinubu were to visit the White House, he would be meeting with President Donald Trump, not the Vice President.

The clarification came after reports claimed that Tinubu was set to travel to Washington for “top-level diplomatic engagements” amid heightened global attention on the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria and a recent statement by Trump threatening possible military action.

Recall Trump, in a post on his Truth account warned that the United States might “go in guns blazing” if the Nigerian government failed to stop the alleged killing of Christians.

“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 who are committing these horrible atrocities.

“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our cherished Christians,” he said.

In response to the growing controversy, the President over the weekend denied any claims of a “Christian genocide,” reaffirming that Nigeria remains a democracy committed to religious freedom and equality for all citizens.

Tinubu, in an official statement via his X handle, emphasised that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and that his administration continues to engage religious leaders across faiths to promote peace and tackle insecurity.

“Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty,” Tinubu said.

Read Also:Tinubu Returns To Abuja After 10-Day Lagos Working Visit

He added, “Since 2023, our administration has maintained an open and active engagement with Christian and Muslim leaders alike and continues to address security challenges which affect citizens across faiths and regions.”

The President also dismissed external narratives portraying Nigeria as religiously intolerant, describing them as inaccurate and unreflective of the nation’s diversity and commitment to peaceful coexistence.

He further pledged continued collaboration with the United States and other international partners to deepen understanding and protect communities of all faiths.

Source: Punch

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