Back CPC Designation With Real Action, Bishop Anagbe Tells U.S.

…Warns extremists killing Christians operate with total impunity
…U.S. lawmaker says persecution is deliberate

By John Paul

Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi has urged the United States to match its redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) with concrete and immediate action, warning that extremist groups killing Christians across Nigeria continue to operate with “total impunity.” The appeal was delivered yesterday before the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, as lawmakers examined what they described as systematic, religion-based attacks targeting Christian communities.

Anagbe thanked President Donald Trump for reinstating Nigeria on the CPC list but stressed that the move “must be backed by serious action,” including targeted sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act against officials who tolerate or enable the violence. He said millions of Christians and other victims remain displaced, traumatised, and abandoned. “The blood of Nigerian Christians cries out to you. We cannot afford to wait any longer,” he told lawmakers.

The Bishop called for U.S. humanitarian support to help internally displaced persons return to their ancestral homes, rebuild livelihoods, and regain access to education, health care, and sanitation. He also endorsed proposed U.S. legislation on religious-freedom accountability, arguing that impunity “fuels the violence we suffer.” He recounted ongoing massacres in Benue State, saying many survivors, including priests, now live with life-changing injuries. “One priest I know cannot walk after surviving a terrorist attack,” he said.

His testimony followed stark warnings from Congressman Chris Smith, Chair of the Subcommittee, who declared that Christians in Nigeria are being “deliberately persecuted” by extremist groups such as Boko Haram, ISIS-West Africa, and radicalised Fulani militants. Smith cited data from Open Doors and Intersociety claiming that more than 7,000 Christians have been murdered in 2025 alone, with 52,000 killed since 2009, alongside 34,000 moderate Muslims.

Smith described Nigeria as “ground zero” for anti-Christian persecution, recounting reports of churches burned, pastors beheaded, women enslaved, and entire villages attacked “simply for calling Jesus their Lord.” He said many attackers have never been arrested or prosecuted. “The perpetrators of these mass atrocities operate with total impunity,” he added.

The Congressman praised Trump’s CPC decision but warned that designation alone is insufficient. He urged the State Department to condition U.S. foreign assistance on measurable improvements, channel aid directly to faith-based groups in the Middle Belt, and impose visa bans and asset freezes on those responsible for abuses.

Nigeria’s reinstatement on the CPC list has triggered diplomatic tension. On Air Force One, Trump confirmed that “military options” were under consideration. The Nigerian government swiftly rejected Trump’s claims of religious persecution, with President Bola Tinubu insisting that Nigeria remains a democracy with constitutional guarantees of religious liberty.

At a UN forum, American rapper Nicki Minaj added her voice, saying no group should ever be attacked for its faith. The congressional panel is expected to hear further testimony from U.S. State Department officials and Nigerian religious leaders as the review continues.