House passes bill to halt foreign aid to Nigeria over anti-Christian violence

WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews) — The U.S. House of Representatives voted on July 15 to pass a State Department appropriations bill that includes language to deny foreign aid to Nigeria until it takes measures to curb anti-Christian violence in the country.

H.R.8595 contains language establishing that no financial assistance to the Nigerian government could be given “until the Secretary of State certifies to the Committees on Appropriations” that Nigeria is “taking effective steps to prevent and respond to violence and hold perpetrators accountable”; “prioritizing resources to support victims of such violence, including internally displaced persons”; and “actively facilitating the safe return, resettlement, and reconstruction of communities impacted by the violence.”

The provision initially made half of aid contingent on such actions, but an amendment proposed by Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) increased it to 100 percent. “American taxpayers should NEVER bankroll governments that turn a blind eye while Christians are abducted, tortured, and murdered,” he declared. “No more wasteful foreign aid!”

“Christians in Nigeria continue to endure horrific violence, murder, and persecution while a majority of the world turns a blind eye to their suffering. President Trump has taken bold actions to strike the terrorists in Nigeria, and this bill sends a clear message that the United States will continue to stand with persecuted Christians across the globe, especially in Nigeria,” said Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV). “This important bill also holds foreign governments accountable and ensures American taxpayer dollars advance our national interests.”

According to the Nigeria-based International Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law’s (Intersociety’s) 2026 mid-year-report, violent Islamist groups such as Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province, and others have killed 2,550 Christians and abducted 2,800 from January to June of this year, while also claiming 1,050 Muslim murder victims and 1,150 Muslim abductees. Additionally, 300 churches have been destroyed or abandoned, 20 Christian pastors killed or abducted, and an estimated 800 Christian women and children forced to convert to Islam.

The international Christian advocacy group Open Doors has identified Nigeria as the world’s seventh-most dangerous place for Christians, accounting for 3,100 of 4,476 Christians reported as killed for their faith worldwide in 2024.

“Religious freedom is constitutionally protected, but the government has also embarked on crackdowns against religious groups that have questioned its authority. State and local governments have been known to endorse de facto official religions in their territory, placing limits on other religious activity,” Freedom House summarizes. “A number of violent attacks on Christian worshippers and nonreligious individuals by Islamist militants and other armed groups have been reported in recent years.”

The U.S. State Department has noted that the Nigerian government “sometimes took steps to investigate alleged human rights abuses by officials, but prosecution and punishment for such abuses was rare.” Last month, a Nigerian federal court sentenced to death four gunmen responsible for a 2022 Catholic church massacre.

This past May, the Trump administration coordinated with the Nigerian government on an operation to eliminate ISIS second-in-command Abu-Bilal al-Minuki in northern Nigeria.