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Another U.S. lawmaker, Jim Risch, has raised the alarm over the killing of Christians in Nigeria to settle political scores, accusing President Bola Tinubu’s government of ignoring the bloodshed.
Mr Risch, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, in a post on social media on Thursday called for action against persecution of Christians in Nigeria, Congo, and Mozambique.
“Faith should never be a death sentence,” said Mr Risch. “Yet across parts of Africa, Christians are hunted, butchered, and terrorised for their beliefs while the world looks away.”
He added, “In countries like Nigeria, DR Congo, and Mozambique, they are targeted by terrorists, exploited by elites to settle political and ethnic scores, and abandoned or betrayed by their own governments. This is not just a tragedy. It is a disgrace. Action is long overdue.”
The Christian Association of Nigeria had earlier in the week confirmed the killing of Christians by jihadists in Nigeria, calling for international support to tackle the menace.
Mr Risch’s statement garnered thousands of reactions, with a spokesperson for the Tinubu-led government, Daniel Bwala, saying, “Senator, whilst the general statement may be confusing, it is important that you clarify which country is your target because this agenda, which started with Bill Maher and a few podcasters, has found its way to the U.S. Congress.”
Mr Risch joins other U.S. lawmakers raising the alarm over Christians’ persecution in Nigeria. His statement comes after Riley M. Moore, a U.S. House of Representatives member, accused Mr Tinubu’s government of “downplaying” the violent massacre of 7,000 Christians by Islamic Jihadists.
In a letter addressed to the U.S. State Secretary, Marco Rubio, Mr Moore, who represents West Virginia’s 2nd District in the U.S. House of Representatives, urged authorities to designate “Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC),” citing “reports that corrupt cells of the Nigerian government may be complicit, and even directly involved, in some of these attacks.”
Meanwhile, Senator Ted Cruz is pushing for a “Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act” that would target government officials facilitating the murder of Christians and the implementation of “blasphemy laws” with sanctions.
Mr Tinubu, who had raised similar alarm over the killing of Christians as an opposition politician some years ago, has denied that terrorists are targeting Christians.
Speaking in Plateau State last weekend, Mr Tinubu said, “Here, no faith is under siege, no community is excluded. Our churches, mosques, and traditional shrines stand side by side—not as rivals, but as symbols of the unity that binds us.
He added, ”We must never allow outsiders to tell us who we are or sow division among us. We are Nigerians, and we will stand together. Nigeria will not accept lectures from those who seek to profit from our divisions. No one loves this country more than Nigerians themselves, and no one will define us except us.”
