US Lawmakers Warn Nigeria Over Deadly Attacks on Christians, Threaten Strained Ties

US Lawmakers Warn Nigeria Over Deadly Attacks on Christians, Threaten Strained Ties

A group of United States lawmakers has warned the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that continued violence against Christians in Nigeria could strain bilateral relations between the two countries.

In a statement issued on Thursday, members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including Robert Aderholt, Josh Brecheen, Mary Miller, and Chris Smith, expressed outrage over recent deadly attacks on Christians during Palm Sunday celebrations in Jos, Plateau State.

“This Palm Sunday, reports from Nigeria indicate that more than thirty Christians were murdered in the city of Jos,” the lawmakers said. “We deeply condemn these atrocities, as no one should face violence and death for their faith.”

The legislators described a growing pattern of targeted violence, noting that attacks on Christians during holy days have become a tragic but predictable trend in recent years.

The lawmakers reminded the Nigerian government that the U.S. Congress recently passed bipartisan legislation conditioning American security assistance on Nigeria taking concrete steps to protect Christians.

“The Nigerian government must drastically ramp up security measures across known hotspots in the Middle Belt to protect the right of Christians to worship freely,” they stated.

The warning grew more explicit as the lawmakers added that failure to act “will result in more bloodshed and could force the U.S. to reevaluate our bilateral relationship.”

The statement was signed by over a dozen House members, including August Pfluger, Addison McDowell, Barry Moore, Daniel Webster, Gary Palmer, Jim Baird, John Carter, John Moolenaar, Keith Self, Mark Messmer, Michael Guest, Nathaniel Moran, Russ Fulcher, Rich McCormick, Vince Fong, and Virginia Foxx.

The latest warning adds to mounting international scrutiny over security challenges in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where recurring violence has drawn concern from domestic and global stakeholders.

Earlier, another U.S. lawmaker, Mark Harris, had called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to impose sanctions on the Nigerian government over what he described as escalating violence against Christians. In a letter dated April 2, 2026, Harris said the situation demands immediate attention, describing attacks on Christians as assaults on human dignity and religious liberty.

As of the time of this report, the Nigerian government had not issued an official response to the lawmakers’ statements.