•HRES 220 IH 
to enter Nigeria unimpeded from Mali, Niger, Chad, and 
Burkina Faso; 
Whereas, for over a decade, Islamic terror organizations have 
carried out mass murder, rape, kidnappings, and other 
atrocities targeting mostly Nigerian Christians and non- 
Fulani moderate Muslim populations, resulting in mass 
displacement and destruction of places of worship, in 
what appears to be a concerted effort for a Fulani-con-
trolled empire modeled upon the caliphate in northern 
Nigeria established by Usman dan Fodio, in the late 18th 
and early 19th century; 
Whereas, prominent Christian and Muslim leaders have been 
kidnapped or assassinated, including priests, pastors, and 
imams who advocate for religious tolerance; 
Whereas, activists speaking out against persecution have 
faced threats, arrests, and harassment from both extrem-
ist groups and government authorities; 
Whereas, northern Nigeria has seen the destruction of ‘‘over 
18,000 churches since 2009’’ in attacks by Boko Haram 
militants, Fulani herdsmen, and others, according to a 
2023 Vatican report, and in 2021, the Department of 
State reported five attacks on mosques by unidentified 
gunmen, bandits, and Boko Haram; 
Whereas, approximately 34,000 moderate non-Fulani Mus-
lims also died in attacks, since 2009, from extremist 
groups for opposing radical Islamic ideologies; 
Whereas, ethnic and religiously inspired violence occurring in 
Nigeria is causing unspeakable suffering and the dis-
placement of between 3.5 to 5 million internally displaced 
persons (IDPs) in northeastern Nigeria, and 343,000 
registered Nigerian refugees in the Lake Chad region; 
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•HRES 220 IH 
Whereas, in 2020, the Department of State designated Nige-
ria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) pursuant to 
the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 
U.S.C. 6401 et seq.); 
Whereas, in 2021, 2022, and 2023, the Department of State 
omitted Nigeria from its CPC list and in 2024 did not 
release a CPC list or its annual International Religious 
Freedom Report; 
Whereas these conflicts are often framed as resource-based 
disputes between herders and farmers, but the systematic 
targeting of Christian communities and religious leaders 
points to an underlying religious dimension, compounded 
by ethnicity; 
Whereas, on May 22, 2024, then-Secretary of State Antony 
Blinken testified to the House Committee on Appropria-
tions that the killings of Christian farmers in Nigeria 
‘‘has nothing to do with religion,’’ a categorical statement 
which is inconsistent with readily discernable evidence; 
Whereas multiple media reports, including from BBC, CNN, 
and Reuters, have highlighted religious persecution, at-
tacks on houses of worship, and the Government of Nige-
ria has been unable or unwilling to effectively investigate 
and prosecute perpetrators of religiously motivated vio-
lence, leading to a culture of impunity; 
Whereas blasphemy laws have also been used to target reli-
gious minorities and dissenters, with harsh penalties, in-
cluding death sentences; 
Whereas, in 12 northern States, Sharia law is implemented 
alongside secular law, leading to discrimination against 
non-Muslims and even Muslims who do not adhere to 
strict interpretations of Islamic law; 
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•HRES 220 IH 
Whereas the Department of State should have a coherent pol-
icy that acknowledges and addresses the ethnic, religious, 
financial, security, and political dimensions of the stag-
gering levels of violence and internal displacement within 
Nigeria, and that the Government of Nigeria must call 
upon significant foreign support to house and feed those 
displaced by the violence; 
Whereas the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury is responsible for 
tracking funds flowing into terrorist and organized crimi-
nal organizations who pose a threat to the national secu-
rity of the United States; 
Whereas the United States and Nigeria are allies and trading 
partners with important, shared security interests; 
Whereas, since FY2020, the United States Government has 
obligated more than $3.53 billion and disbursed more 
than $2.24 billion in non-military foreign assistance to, 
or for use in, Nigeria; 
Whereas, since FY2020, the Department of Defense has obli-
gated in excess of $83,507,253 to provide military and 
security assistance to the Government of Nigeria; 
Whereas the United States foreign policy toward Nigeria 
should consider these factors and justify the purposes for, 
and amounts of, financial assistance provided by the 
United States to and in Nigeria; to identify and justify 
the outcomes of that assistance; and 
Whereas the designation of Nigeria as a CPC would enhance 
diplomatic efforts to encourage the Nigerian government 
to take necessary actions to protect religious minorities 
and uphold fundamental human rights: Now, therefore, 
be it 
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•HRES 220 IH 
Resolved, That it is the Sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that— 
(1) The Secretary of State should designate Ni-
geria as a Country of Particular Concern under the 
International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 6 
U.S.C. 6401 et seq.), which mandates the designa-
tion of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) for 
nations engaged in or tolerating systematic, ongoing, 
and egregious violations of religious freedom; 
(2) The Government of Nigeria must take im-
mediate and effective steps to prevent religious per-
secution, prosecute perpetrators of violence, take ac-
tion to care for the millions of internally displaced 
persons, and uphold constitutional protections for re-
ligious freedom; 
(3) The State Department should increase U.S. 
diplomatic engagement with Nigerian officials to ad-
dress religious freedom violations and develop strate-
gies for long-term peace and stability; 
(4) The United States should impose targeted 
sanctions and other measures against individuals 
and entities responsible for severe violations of reli-
gious freedom in Nigeria; and 
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•HRES 220 IH 
(5) The United States is committed to pro-
moting religious freedom and human rights as 
foundational principles of U.S. foreign policy. 
Æ 
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