The United States House Appropriations Committee has reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to tackling religious persecution globally, with particular attention to Nigeria.
The committee made this known in a statement posted on its official X account on Wednesday, Peak Newspaper reports.
“America will not look away as innocent lives are stolen… Religious freedom and atrocity response are central to our NSRP bill,” the committee said, noting that a team of appropriators, acting under the directive of President Donald Trump, recently undertook an on-the-ground mission to Nigeria to inform policy recommendations on Christian persecution.
The visit was confirmed on Sunday by Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who said he hosted the delegation as part of ongoing security consultations between both countries.
He said the mission followed earlier engagements in Washington, DC, and focused on counter-terrorism cooperation, regional stability and strengthening Nigeria–US strategic security relations.
A member of the delegation, Rep. Riley Moore, described the trip as “very productive” in a post on X, adding that he also met with Tiv and Catholic leaders in Benue State during the visit.
The development comes amid renewed diplomatic strains after the Trump administration recently redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over alleged violations of religious freedom, a move accompanied by warnings of potential US military intervention.
