119-hres860

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 860 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. RES. 860

 Commending President Trump for Redesignating Nigeria a Country of 
 Particular Concern due to Nigeria's engagement in and tolerating 
systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, and 
 for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 November 4, 2025

 Mr. Smith of New Jersey (for himself and Mr. Huizenga) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
 Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
 committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

 Commending President Trump for Redesignating Nigeria a Country of 
 Particular Concern due to Nigeria's engagement in and tolerating 
systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, and 
 for other purposes.

Whereas, for over a decade, Islamic terror organizations have carried out mass 
 murder, rape, kidnappings, and other atrocities targeting mostly 
 Nigerian Christians and non- Fulani moderate Muslim populations, 
 resulting in mass displacement and destruction of places of worship, in 
 what appears to be a concerted effort for a Fulani-con-trolled empire 
 modeled upon the caliphate in northern Nigeria established by Usman dan 
 Fodio, in the late 18th and early 19th century;
Whereas prominent Christian and Muslim leaders have been kidnapped or 
 assassinated, including priests, pastors, and imams who advocate for 
 religious tolerance;
Whereas religious leaders, such as Father Remigius Iyhula and Bishop Wilfred 
 Anagbe who testified on March 12, 2025 at a hearing of the House Foreign 
 Affairs Committee about the persecution and targeted killings of 
 Christians in the Diocese of Makurdi, have faced intimidation, threats, 
 and harassment from both extremist groups and government authorities;
Whereas the 2023 Watch List released in January by Open Doors, the 
 interdenominational foundation that supports persecuted Christians 
 throughout the world, indicates that Nigeria accounts for 89 percent of 
 Christians martyred worldwide;
Whereas northern Nigeria has seen the destruction of ``over 18,000 churches 
 since 2009'' in attacks by Boko Haram militants, Fulani herdsmen, and 
 others, according to a 2023 Vatican report, and in 2021, the Department 
 of State reported five attacks on mosques by unidentified gunmen, 
 bandits, and Boko Haram;
Whereas an August 2024 report from the Observatory of Religious Freedom in 
 Africa found that approximately 56,000 people died in attacks and about 
 22,000 people were abducted by terror groups in Nigeria between October 
 2019 and September 2023.
Whereas ethnic and religiously inspired violence occurring in Nigeria is causing 
 unspeakable suffering and the forced relocation of between 3.5 to 5 
 million internally displaced persons

    (IDPs) in northeastern Nigeria, and 
 343,000 registered Nigerian refugees in the Lake Chad region;
Whereas, in 2020, the Department of State designated Nigeria a CPC pursuant to 
 the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6401 et 
 seq.);
Whereas, in 2021, 2022, and 2023, the Department of State omitted Nigeria from 
 its CPC list and in 2024 did not release a CPC list nor its 
 [congressionally-mandated] annual International Religious Freedom 
 Report;
Whereas the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom recommended 
 redesignating Nigeria a CPC four years in a row from 2021 to 2024 and 
 said ``[t]here is no justification'' as to why the State Department 
 continues to fail to redesignate Nigeria as a CPC;
Whereas, on March 23, 2023, then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken testified to 
 the House Committee on Foreign Affairs refusing to explain the decision 
 to remove the CPC designation for Nigeria, given by the previous 
 Administration;
Whereas, on May 22, 2024, then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken testified to 
 the House Committee on Appropriations that the killings of Christian 
 farmers in Nigeria ``has nothing to do with religion,'' a categorical 
 statement which is inconsistent with readily discernable evidence;
Whereas multiple media reports, including from BBC, CNN, and Reuters, have 
 highlighted religious persecution, attacks on houses of worship, and the 
 Government of Nigeria has been unwilling to effectively investigate and 
 prosecute perpetrators of religiously motivated violence, leading to a 
 culture of impunity;
Whereas blasphemy laws have also been used to target religious minorities and 
 dissenters with harsh penalties, including death sentences;
Whereas, in 12 northern States, Sharia law is implemented alongside secular law, 
 leading to discrimination against non-Muslims and even Muslims who do 
 not adhere to strict interpretations of Islamic law;
Whereas the United States and Nigeria are allies and trading partners with 
 important, shared security interests;
Whereas, since FY2020, the United States Government has obligated more than 
 $3.53 billion and disbursed more than $2.24 billion in non-military 
 foreign assistance to, or for use in, Nigeria;
Whereas, since FY2020, the Department of Defense has obligated in excess of 
 $83,507,253 to provide military and security assistance to the 
 Government of Nigeria;
Whereas the United States foreign policy toward Nigeria should consider these 
 factors and justify the purposes for, and amounts of, financial 
 assistance provided by the United States to and in Nigeria; to identify 
 and justify the outcomes of that assistance; and
Whereas the designation of Nigeria as a CPC will enhance diplomatic efforts to 
 encourage the Nigerian government to take necessary actions to protect 
 religious minorities and uphold fundamental human rights: Now, 
 therefore, be it
 Resolved, That it is the Sense of the House of Representatives 
that--

    (1) President Donald J. Trump acted appropriately and 
 decisively to redesignate Nigeria as a CPC and hold the 
 Nigerian government accountable for its complicity in religious 
 persecution by radical Islamists, such as Boko Haram and Fulani 
 terrorists;

    (2) The State Department should:

    (a) provide immediate humanitarian assistance 
 directly to faith-based groups to support internally 
 displaced people in Nigeria's middle belt states; and

    (b) condition U.S. foreign assistance, including 
 through global health programs, to immediately address 
 religious freedom violations and develop strategies for 
 long-term peace and stability, including the Nigerian 
 government taking immediate and effective steps to 
 prevent religious persecution, prosecute perpetrators 
 of violence, take action to care for the millions of 
 internally displaced persons, and uphold constitutional 
 protections for religious freedom;

    (3) The United States, through the Department of State and 
 Department of Treasury, should impose targeted sanctions, 
 including visa bans and asset freezes under the Global 
 Magnitsky framework and other restrictive measures, on 
 individuals and entities responsible for severe violations of 
 religious freedom in Nigeria, including sanctions against 
 Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria

    (MACBAN) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, and should place Fulani-Ethnic 
 Militias operating in Benue and Plateau States on the Entities 
 of Particular Concern List under the International Religious 
 Freedom Act; and

    (4) The United States is committed to promoting religious 
 freedom and human rights as foundational principles of U.S. 
 foreign policy.
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