In a scathing address at a congressional hearing, U.S. Representative John James (R-MI) condemned Nigeria’s recent conviction of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu as emblematic of the country’s deepening religious persecution and institutional collapse, urging a reevaluation of U.S. foreign aid amid ongoing violence against Christians.
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The hearing, hosted by the House Subcommittee on Africa in Washington, DC, scrutinized President Donald Trump’s recent redesignation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) for egregious violations of religious freedom. Trump’s move, announced earlier this month, revives a 2020 designation from his first term that was lifted by the Biden administration in 2021. Participants included senior U.S. State Department officials and prominent Nigerian religious leaders, who highlighted systematic attacks on religious minorities, particularly Christians, potentially opening the door to U.S. sanctions.
James, a former chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa and current member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, drew on his firsthand experiences from visits to Nigeria, describing it as “the deadliest place on earth to be a Christian.” Invoking Psalm 96:14, “Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?” he painted a grim picture of the crisis. “Since 2019, nearly 17,000 Christians have been killed,” James stated. “In the first seven months of this year alone, hundreds more were murdered. On June 13th, during the Yellowwater Massacre, more than 280 Christians were slaughtered in a single day.”
These atrocities, James argued, form a “sustained pattern of religiously motivated violence, often ignored or even enabled by the Nigerian government.” He pointed to extremist groups like Boko Haram, Fulani militants, and ISIS West Africa operating with impunity due to inadequate intervention from authorities, leaving Christian communities in perpetual fear.
Central to James’s critique was the case of Kanu, an Igbo separatist and Biafran independence advocate arrested in 2015 and extradited from Kenya in 2021 on terrorism charges tied to IPOB, which is designated a terrorist group by Nigeria. Despite a 2022 ruling by Nigeria’s Court of Appeal invalidating the charges and ordering his release due to rendition irregularities, and a parallel call from the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention for his unconditional freedom, Kanu has languished in solitary confinement. Reports have raised alarms over his deteriorating health, including a period when he was forced to represent himself in court after restrictions on his legal team.
@thenigerialawyer US Lawmaker James Cites Nnamdi Kanu’s Life Sentence As Evidence Of Religious Persecution In Nigeria During Fiery Congressional Hearing
“Religious persecution is tied to political repression and weakening institutions in Nigeria,” James declared. “The detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is a clear example. Nigeria has signaled that the law is optional and targeting Christians is fair game.”
James’s remarks landed just hours before a stunning development: On Thursday, Justice James Omotosho of Nigeria’s Federal High Court in Abuja convicted Kanu on all seven terrorism counts, sentencing him to four concurrent life terms plus additional penalties. The ruling, delivered amid procedural disputes and global condemnation, has sparked protests in southeastern Nigeria and outrage from human rights groups. “Just hours ago this morning, despite the pleas and cries of the Nigerian people and many Nigerian lawmakers, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was convicted on all charges,” James noted, framing it as a blatant defiance of judicial independence.
Kanu’s supporters view him as a political prisoner battling ethnic marginalization in Nigeria’s diverse federation, while detractors cite IPOB’s disruptive activities, such as enforced “sit-at-home” orders, as justification for the charges. James wove Kanu’s saga into the broader tapestry of abuse, including escalating attacks in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and northern regions by Fulani herdsmen and Islamist militants.
The hearing intensified demands for accountability, with witnesses detailing church burnings, believer killings, and displaced communities that undermine Nigeria’s stability. James questioned the wisdom of U.S. support, referencing the $8 billion requested for African subsistence in fiscal year 2025. “When Americans see political prisoners, judicial defiance, and the slaughter of Christians, they understandably ask, why should our tax dollars support governments that refuse to protect their own people? Is our aid aiding a genocide?”
“Nigeria is a nation of tremendous potential, but that potential is being choked out by violent persecution of its Christian population,” James concluded. “No country can build a stable future where churches are burned, believers are killed, and communities live in fear. The United States must stay engaged, and Nigeria must change course now.”
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