Nigerian communities across the United States are preparing for a major rally in the US capital to protest what organisers describe as a “Christian genocide” in Nigeria. The demonstration, coordinated by the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) USA, is scheduled for December 1, 2025, coming just 11 days after the US House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa holds a hearing on Nigeria’s redesignation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).
Calls for participation in the rally began circulating widely over the weekend via social media platforms, drawing attention to renewed tensions surrounding religious freedom in Nigeria. Below is the video being used to mobilise Nigerians to Washington D.C:
Congressional Hearing Opens November 20
The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa will convene the hearing on Thursday, November 20, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. in Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building. The session, chaired by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), will be broadcast live via webcast.
According to an invitation sent to committee members, the hearing will feature two witness panels.
The first panel includes:
Jonathan Pratt, Senior Bureau Official, Bureau of African Affairs
Jacob McGee, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
The second panel consists of:
Nina Shea, Director, Centre for Religious Freedom
Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, Makurdi Catholic Diocese, Nigeria
Oge Onubogu, Centre for Strategic & International Studies
Lawmakers are expected to examine the extent of religious persecution in Nigeria and explore policy responses, including sanctions on Nigerian officials, humanitarian intervention, and potential collaboration with Abuja to curb attacks on religious communities.
Trump’s Redesignation Sparks Global Debate
On October 31, 2025, President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, citing severe violations of religious freedom, particularly against Christians. The designation—if upheld by the Senate—could unlock a range of punitive measures, including sanctions and restrictions on bilateral aid.
Trump’s statement, issued on November 1, accused Nigerian authorities of failing to stop “radical Islamists” from killing Christians and warned that the US could launch military action if the situation did not improve.
“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the USA will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now-disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’” Trump declared.
“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action.”
A related bill is also pending before the US Senate, sponsored by Senator Ted Cruz.
Nigeria was first placed on the CPC list by Trump in 2020 before President Joe Biden removed it after taking office.
Tinubu Rejects Accusations
President Bola Tinubu swiftly dismissed Trump’s allegations, calling them a misrepresentation of Nigeria’s religious landscape.
In a statement posted on his official X handle, Tinubu insisted the country remains committed to constitutional guarantees of religious freedom.
“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” he said.
“Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity.”
US Lawmakers Press Nigeria
In an interview with Fox News, Congressman Riley Moore (R-WV) said Congress has begun investigating the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
“What is going on in the country is horrific… we’re going to stop this,” Moore said, accusing the Nigerian government of complicity.
He also claimed that Christian deaths outnumber Muslim deaths “five to one.”
Moore argued that the US has a moral and strategic obligation to intervene:
“We are a Christian nation… The President has put all options on the table, including military kinetic action.”
