The US announced a visa ban targeting groups and individuals linked to the killings of Nigerian Christians in response to escalating violence and persecution.
The US Department of State announced actions on Wednesday to combat what it called “mass killings and attacks against Christians in Nigeria.”
The move indicates that the US is considering imposing visa restrictions on individuals and groups involved in the violence.
“The United States is taking decisive action in response to the mass killings and attacks on Christians carried out by radical Islamic terrorists, Fulani militias, and other violent groups in Nigeria and beyond,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a statement.
Under the new policy, implemented through Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the State Department can restrict visas for anyone who has “directed, authorized, significantly supported, participated in, or carried out violations of religious freedom,” and, where appropriate, extend the restrictions to their immediate family members.
Rubio also stated that similar restrictions might be used “on Nigeria and any other governments or individuals engaged in violations of religious freedom,” emphasizing Washington’s concern about the growing attacks on vulnerable religious communities.
The announcement came after a briefing by US House Republicans on Tuesday, which highlighted escalating religious violence in Nigeria.
President Donald Trump summoned the session after instructing the House Appropriations Committee on October 31 to investigate what he described as the massacre of Christians in the country.
The meeting, hosted by House Appropriations Vice Chair and National Security Subcommittee Chairman Mario Díaz-Balart, brought together members of the House Appropriations and House Foreign Affairs Committees, as well as religious freedom specialists. Representatives Robert Aderholt, Riley Moore, Brian Mast, and Chris Smith attended, as did Vicky Hartzler, Chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom; Sean Nelson of Alliance Defending Freedom International; and Dr. Ebenezer Obadare of the Council on Foreign Relations.
President Bola Tinubu recently approved Nigeria’s delegation to the new US-Nigeria Joint Working Group, which was formed to implement security agreements reached during high-level meetings in Washington, led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
The decision comes in response to rising worries about terrorism, banditry, and targeted attacks on Christians in Nigeria, prompting intensified US surveillance and cautions about the security of vulnerable religious communities.
On Friday, October 31, 2025, President Trump added Nigeria to the list of “Countries of Particular Concern” due to reports of Christian killings in the country.
He had earlier designated Nigeria as a CPC during his first term in office in December 2020, but that classification was overturned when he was defeated in the presidential election by Joe Biden.
Following the relisting, on November 3, the US President stated that he might contemplate military intervention to protect Nigeria’s persecuted Christians.
On November 20, the US House Subcommittee on Africa held a public hearing to discuss President Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, putting the country under increased scrutiny for alleged religious freedom violations.
Lawmakers considered the potential repercussions of the designation, which could lead to sanctions against Nigerian authorities found involved in religious persecution.
