THE United States government has announced plan to impose visa restrictions on individuals accused of orchestrating or supporting violent attacks against Christians in Nigeria and other countries.
In a statement on Wednesday, December 3, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the measure was triggered by “mass killings and violence against Christians by radical Islamic terrorists, Fulani ethnic militias, and other violent actors in Nigeria and beyond.”
Rubio said the new policy, invoked under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the US Immigration and Nationality Act, would allow the State Department to deny visas to anyone having “directed, authorised, significantly supported, participated in, or carried out violations of religious freedom,” including, where appropriate, their immediate family members.
The Secretary of State referenced President Donald Trump’s earlier directive, noting that the US “cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other countries.”
It added that the new “policy will apply to Nigeria and any other governments or individuals engaged in violations of religious freedom.”
The decision came amid heightened concern in the US over alleged attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria.
On Tuesday, US lawmakers convened a joint congressional briefing on what some in Congress described as an “alleged Christian genocide” in the country. The session, led by senior members of the House Appropriations, Foreign Affairs, and Financial Services Committees, sought testimony for an upcoming report ordered by Trump on the scale of the violence and possible US responses.
The roundtable forms part of a broader review of Nigeria’s security landscape as both countries move to deepen cooperation.
The ICIR reported that President Bola Tinubu recently cleared Nigeria’s delegation for the new US–Nigeria Joint Working Group, launched to make commitments from high-level talks in Washington, and led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
The group, made up of top ministers and security officials, seeks to strengthen counterterrorism operations, improve intelligence sharing, bolster border security, and enhance coordination on humanitarian and civilian protection issues.
The initiative was in response to growing concerns over terrorism, banditry, and alleged attacks on Christians in Nigeria, drawing heightened US scrutiny and renewed warnings on safeguarding vulnerable communities.
Trump added Nigeria to countries on watchlist for Christian genocide on October 31.
He referenced alleged grave violations of religious freedom, including the persecution of Christians.
He further alleged that Christianity faced an existential threat in Nigeria, with thousands of Christians reportedly killed by radical Islamist groups.
He also warned that the US could take action including the possibility of military intervention if Nigeria failed to address the issue.
Nigeria was first designated a CPC byTrump in 2020, but his successor, President Joe Biden, removed the country from the list after assuming office.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M