A United States Republican lawmaker, Congressman Bill Huizenga, was emotional on Thursday during a hearing of the US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa as he criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration for what he described as ongoing attacks by “radicalised Islamists” against Christians in Nigeria.
The session, aired on Channels TV and titled “President Trump’s Redesignation of Nigeria as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ (CPC): A Serious, Well-Founded Wake-Up Call,” examined Nigeria’s religious freedom record.
It follows President Donald Trump’s recent move to reinstate Nigeria on the CPC list.
Huizenga, who said he grew up around Nigerians and has followed the country’s security challenges for years, accused both US lawmakers and the media of downplaying religious-related violence in Nigeria.
“I went to school with kids from Nigeria,” he said, pausing as he attempted to control his emotions.
“We’ve got neighbours who’ve been missionaries there, who have family there, who have friends there, who know this is going on.
“Yet, we’ve got not just the mass media, we’ve got people within the Congress denying that this is happening, or certainly de-emphasising it,” he said.
He said Christians, moderate Muslims and “anyone being terrorised by these radicalised Islamists in Nigeria” require stronger protection, arguing that the Nigerian government “is not doing enough.”
Huizenga also questioned the level of US humanitarian assistance to internally displaced persons in Benue and Taraba states, noting that Benue alone has “1.4 million” displaced people.
Concluding his remarks, he referenced a written submission from House Financial Services Committee Chairman, French Hill, who stressed the need for enforceable sanctions.
If upheld by the Senate, the CPC redesignation could lead to sanctions on Nigerian officials implicated in rights violations, with potential implications for US–Nigeria relations, trade and aid.
