By DAYO ADESULU
Growing concerns over US pressure on Nigeria over Sharia law took center stage in Washington on Tuesday as American lawmakers received strong appeals to intervene in what witnesses described as state-enabled religious persecution across northern Nigeria.
The push came during a joint House session examining Nigeria’s escalating violence, particularly attacks against Christian communities in the North and the Middle Belt. Witnesses urged Congress to press President Bola Tinubu’s administration to declare Sharia law unconstitutional in the 12 northern states enforcing it since 2000, and to dismantle the Hisbah religious police accused of aiding extremist abuses.
CFR Expert Warns Congress Of Radicalisation Risks
At the hearing convened in line with President Donald Trump’s directive on Nigeria’s Country of Particular Concern (CPC) status, Dr. Ebenezer Obadare, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, issued a stark warning.
He described Sharia-based governance and Hisbah operations as “ideological and operational cover” for Boko Haram, ISWAP, and radicalised Fulani militias, claiming they provide fertile ground for forced conversions and extremist rule.
A statement from the House Appropriations Committee quoted Obadare advocating a blunt two-step plan for Washington: neutralise Boko Haram in collaboration with Nigeria’s military, and directly pressure President Tinubu to abolish Sharia criminal law and disband Hisbah structures statewide.
Though he acknowledged that Abuja has responded to earlier US pressure — including air strikes, recruitment of 30,000 additional policemen, and the declaration of a national security emergency — he stressed that stronger diplomatic pressure is still required.
Lawmakers Highlight Worsening Attacks And Impunity
The session, chaired by Appropriations Vice Chair Mario Díaz-Balart, featured testimonies detailing abductions, mass killings, blasphemy imprisonments, and widespread displacement of Christian populations.
Lawmakers referenced the November 22 kidnapping of schoolchildren and teachers from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State as one of the latest signs that the Nigerian state is failing to protect vulnerable communities.
Rep. Chris Smith described Nigeria as “ground zero for global anti-Christian persecution,” while Rep. Brian Mast demanded immediate disarmament of militias and prosecution of perpetrators.
Similarly, USCIRF Chair Vicky Hartzler and ADF International’s Sean Nelson urged Congress to deploy targeted sanctions, early-warning systems, and security conditionality to force accountability on Nigerian authorities.
Growing Bipartisan Support For Tougher Measures
Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers signalled readiness to support Díaz-Balart’s FY26 appropriations language addressing the crisis. A formal congressional report is already being prepared for President Trump, with recommendations that may include placing conditions on US assistance to Nigeria.
Nigeria was first listed as a Country of Particular Concern in 2020 under Trump but removed by President Joe Biden. Trump reinstated the designation on October 31, warning of potential military action and suspension of aid should Abuja fail to confront extremist violence decisively.
Tuesday’s hearing follows a November 20 session involving US State Department officials and Nigerian religious leaders, strengthening a unified view in Washington that addressing Sharia criminal law and Hisbah institutions is now seen as essential to restoring religious freedom in the region.
A Shifting Consensus On Nigeria’s Security Crisis
The briefing ended with a clear message: Washington increasingly believes that dismantling Sharia law’s enforcement mechanisms is crucial to reversing what lawmakers describe as one of the world’s deadliest but least addressed religious-freedom crises.
As US pressure on Nigeria over Sharia law grows, eyes now turn to Abuja to see how the Tinubu administration responds to this latest wave of international scrutiny.
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