The United States Congress has given President Donald Trump the authority to impose severe sanctions on Nigeria due to the escalating persecution of Christians in the country. This decision was announced by Chairman Chris Smith of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa after a congressional hearing on the matter.
The hearing featured testimonies from various individuals, including Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of Makurdi, who described militant Fulani herdsmen as terrorists operating with impunity. Smith criticized the Nigerian government for failing to protect Christians, citing a report by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa. This report documented over 55,000 killings and 21,000 abductions linked to religious violence between 2019 and 2023.
Smith also blamed the previous Biden administration for removing Nigeria from the Country of Particular Concern (CPC) list, a designation Trump had initially placed on the country. The CPC list is used to identify countries that have engaged in or tolerated systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.
The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977 is one of the statutes that grants the President the authority to impose sanctions. IEEPA empowers the President to address any “unusual and extraordinary” external threats to the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States.
Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 is another statute that grants the President the authority to impose tariffs and other trade restrictions. This statute authorizes the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to investigate unfair foreign trade practices and remedy by imposing tariffs and other trade restrictions.
Smith reintroduced a resolution calling for renewed CPC designation and potential sanctions if the violence continues. He stressed that intervention was necessary to stop what he termed “religious cleansing” and to hold perpetrators accountable. “This hearing should be a catalyst for action,” Smith stated, adding that where sanctions have been enforced, change has followed.”
Key Points:
- Congressional Authority: The U.S. Congress has given President Donald Trump the authority to impose severe sanctions on Nigeria.
- Reason for Sanctions: The sanctions are in response to the escalating persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
- IEEPA and Section 301: The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977 and Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 grant the President the authority to impose sanctions.
- CPC Designation: Smith reintroduced a resolution calling for renewed CPC designation and potential sanctions if the violence continues.
- Nigerian Government: Smith criticized the Nigerian government for failing to protect Christians.