Nigeria was designated as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) by the Trump Administration last November because of the government’s tolerance of religious freedom violations as violent attacks continue against religious communities.
Reuters reported previously that, at the request of the Nigerian government, the U.S. carried out a strike against Islamic State militants based in Sokoto state, northwest Nigeria, during Christmas. President Donald Trump posted on X that the strike targeted “ISIS Terrorist Scum” who have been killing innocent Christians.
Nigeria called the strike a “joint operation” which was planned in advance using information provided by Nigeria. Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar stated possibilities for future strikes depending on “decisions to be taken by the leadership of the two countries."
After the attacks, a U.S. delegation traveled to Abuja, Nigeria, to discuss Nigeria’s CPC designation. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker affirmed that the two countries will continue working to stop the violence against the Christian communities, Fox News reported.
Lt. Gen. John Brennan, second highest-ranking officer at U.S. Africa Command, spoke about the result of the Sokoto strike and the U.S.’s continued support.
“A lot of terrorists decided to flee the area, and it allowed the Nigerians the opportunity to arrest them,” stated Brennan. “We are continuing to provide them intelligence support, airborne ISR, (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), things that will make them more accurate.”
The U.S. air strikes were not a complete deterrent.
Prior to the U.S. delegation's visit, Nigerian officials said that 163 worshippers were kidnapped on Jan. 18 when heavily armed bandits raided at least two churches during services.
The abductions reportedly occurred in a rural Christian community in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna state in north-central Nigeria.
Attorney Curtis Bostic is the founder and board chairman of Remember, a relief organization that provides aid and gospel resources for widows and orphans of martyrs in persecuted countries. He spoke with Tony Perkins on Washington Watch about increased attention from the U.S. He says it’s come too late.
“I'm thankful to see it. It should have come a long time ago. This genocide has been going on since 2009 with between 50,000-100,000 Christians killed in Nigeria. More Christians are killed in Nigeria than every other country in the world combined,” Bostic said.
While some see it as late-arriving, U.S. influence has been very effective, Bostic said. He also notes that the gospel is persevering as a number men from the Fulani and Boko Haram have come to know Christ as their Savior.
Still, the numbers are tragic. To put it in perspective, adding together various countries – He used Afghanistan, Iraq, and China as an example -- accounts for around 25 percent of Christians martyred in 2025. The other 75 percent come from Nigeria alone.
Critics point out that, while the Nigerian government is not perpetrating the violence, they are turning a blind eye to threats faced in Christian communities.
As it stands, the country is the most populous nation in Africa with more than 240 million people and 36 states.
“The northern 12 states — kind of a band from east to west — have adopted Sharia law, and in those 12 states, the Fulani, who are Muslim, and Boko Haram, which is a terrorist organization in the northeast, have found their home. They are periodically — and have been for many years — making raids south of their borders into Christian communities,” Bostic said.
During a recent trip, he saw entire villages burned in those raids, and the carnage goes far beyond the killing, he told Perkins.
“What is most important, particularly for the Christian community, is the number that have survived. While almost 5,000 were killed this past year, another 7,000 it is estimated — women and girls — have been taken captive, either sold as sex slaves or held for ransom,” says Bostic. “For all the men that were killed, there are thousands of children who are now without a father, a breadwinner in a poor country, women without a husband, women who have been disfigured and maimed, traumatized by sexual abuse.”
