The U.S. House Appropriations and Foreign Affairs Committees has held a joint briefing to address escalating violence against Christians in Nigeria, fulfilling President Donald J. Trump’s October 31 directive for a probe into what he termed the “slaughter of Christians” and to explore potential policy responses.

The session, chaired by Appropriations Vice Chair Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL), brought together Reps Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Riley Moore (R-WV), Brian Mast (R-FL), and Chris Smith (R-NJ), alongside experts including USCIRF Chair Vicky Hartzler, Alliance Defending Freedom’s Sean Nelson, and Council on Foreign Relations scholar Dr. Ebenezer Obadare.

Díaz-Balart described religious freedom as both a “moral duty and vital American interest,” pledging FY26 funding to protect believers. Aderholt warned Nigeria’s crisis “can’t be ignored,” while Moore tied the issue to Trump’s recent Country of Particular Concern (CPC) redesignation, declaring: “The world will no longer turn a blind eye.” Mast characterized the violence as a “targeted campaign of religious cleansing” by Boko Haram, ISWAP, and Fulani militants, and Smith called Nigeria “ground zero of religious violence,” urging accountability.

Hartzler highlighted the November abduction of more than 300 students from a Catholic school, pressing for stronger U.S. leverage through security aid. Nelson detailed torture and the enforcement of blasphemy laws in Sharia states, while Obadare identified Boko Haram as the central threat, recommending its neutralization and the abolition of Sharia law in 12 northern states.

Appropriators are now preparing a formal report for Trump outlining congressional support measures. The briefing comes amid a surge of violence in 2025, with over 7,000 Christians reportedly killed across Nigeria, underscoring the urgency of U.S. engagement in the crisis.