United States lawmakers to pressure the Nigerian government to abolish Sharia law in northern states where they has been adopted and disband the religious-enforcement Hisbah commissions, with experts warning that these laws and groups are fueling systematic anti-Christian persecution.

During a joint House briefing in response to US President Donald Trump’s October directive and designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Dr. Ebenezer Obadare testified that the primary drivers of violence – Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and radicalised Fulani militants exploit Sharia frameworks and Hisbah officials to impose extremist ideology, enforce forced conversions, and operate with near-total impunity.

Obadare laid out a strategy for dealing with the violence and killings.

In laying out his strategy, Obadare acknowledged efforts by the Federal Government in response to pressure from the United States.

The bipartisan session, led by Appropriations Vice Chair Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL) and involving the House Foreign Affairs Committee, heard repeated accusations that the Nigerian government is complicit in what lawmakers called “religious cleansing” across the north and Middle Belt.

The briefing underscored the Trump administration’s recent redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.

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