Representative Chris Smith / Wikimedia Commons
CV NEWS FEED // U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-NJ, called for immediate measures to confront the Islamist-led persecution of Christians in Nigeria during the Feb. 3 International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, D.C.
According to a press release, Smith called the situation “unconscionable” and pointed to the increasing violence against Christians at the hands of Islamist extremist groups, including Boko Haram and Fulani militias.
He cited a report from Open Doors, a global Christian organization that monitors religious persecution, which found that in 2024 alone, 3,100 Christians were killed and 2,830 were kidnapped in Nigeria — more than in any other country.
According to the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa, terror groups killed 55,910 people in Nigeria over four years, with Fulani militias responsible for at least 42% of all civilian deaths in community attacks. Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) combined killed 10%.
“The time to act is now!” Smith said, according to the press release.
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Smith also shared the harrowing testimony of Habila Adamu, a Nigerian Christian who survived a brutal attack by Boko Haram. Adamu was dragged from his home, shot in the face for affirming that he was a Christian, and left for dead. However, he survived.
Smith later invited Adamu to testify before Congress.
“I am alive because God wants you to have this message — knowing Christ is so much deeper than merely knowing Boko Haram’s story of hate and intolerance,” he told the lawmakers.
“Do everything you can to end this ruthless religious persecution,” Adamu added, “but know Christ first.”
Adamu’s resilience, Smith said, is a testament to the strength of persecuted Christians in Nigeria.
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Smith, who has long championed religious freedom, recalled his efforts to have Boko Haram designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), a move that faced resistance from the Obama administration. He also condemned the Biden administration’s 2021 decision to remove Nigeria’s designation as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC), despite widespread reports of escalating violence.
Expressing optimism that the new administration will address this crisis, Smith announced plans to reintroduce a resolution urging the Trump administration to reinstate Nigeria’s CPC designation. He also pledged to chair a congressional hearing in the coming weeks to address the crisis.
Smith said, “Help can’t come fast enough.”
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